The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to take on the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 58th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 17 as the tournament resumes after a brief breakage.
The 18th edition of the IPL resumes after a one-week pause due to the cross border tensions between Indian and Pakistan, with a rearranged schedule, and the intensity is high as the tournament as it enters its final leg. The Rajat Patidar-led team will look to secure a victory in front of their home crowd, and the win will guarantee them a place in the playoffs. The team currently sits second on the points table with eight wins.
Meanwhile, the three-time champions KKR have had a mixed campaign this season. KKR are positioned sixth in the , they must win both of their remaining matches and rely on results from other fixtures to keep their playoff hopes alive. They also need better net run-rate (NRR) for their playoffs chances.
With several overseas players unavailable due to various reasons, both teams will have to make proper decisions regarding team combinations. The teams capitalising on the available resources and adjusting quickly will be key as both sides look to gain the upper hand in the crucial encounter.
Match Details
| Match | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, , IPL 2025 |
| Venue | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Date & Time | Saturday, May 17, 7:30 PM (IST) |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming Details | JioStar Network Channels, JioHotstar (app & website) |
Pitch Report
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its high-scoring encounters and thrilling finishes. In IPL 2025, recent matches at this venue have shown strong support for batters, with very little assistance for bowlers. The presence of several power-hitters in both teams, and the fans can expect another high-scoring contest, with the pitch likely to favour an aggressive scoring rate.
Head-to-Head Record
RCB have faced the three-time champions KKR 36 times, with the latter holding the upper hand by winning 21 of those encounters. However, in the recent past, the Bengaluru-based side has definitely had the dominance against the Ajinkya Rahane-led side.
| Matches | 36 |
| Won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 15 |
| Won by Kolkata Knight Riders | 21 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First Played | April 18, 2008 – KKR won |
| Last Played | March 22, 2025 – RCB won |
Predicted Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal
Impact Player: Suyash Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje
Impact Player: Harshit Rana
