Bengaluru: A captivating contest is on the horizon as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 24th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, scheduled for Thursday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. With both teams enjoying strong starts to their campaigns, the fixture is set to be defined by a host of fascinating individual battles.

Match Details ( When & Where To Watch)

  • Fixture: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals

  • Date: April 10

  • Time: 7:30 PM IST

  • Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

  • Streaming: JioHotstar (free streaming)/Star Sports Network (TV)

Evenly Matched Titans Set for Showdown

Delhi Capitals come into the match with an unblemished record—three wins from as many outings—while Royal Challengers have secured three victories in four appearances. Their only defeat came against Gujarat Titans, owing largely to a surprisingly sluggish Chinnaswamy pitch rather than any dip in form.

Both sides have proven themselves adaptable, with Delhi emerging victorious on contrasting surfaces in Visakhapatnam and Chennai, and Bengaluru mastering conditions across Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai. The hosts, bolstered by Virat Kohli's return to form, will look to assert their dominance in familiar territory.

Dream11 Fantasy Picks

Wicketkeepers: KL Rahul
Batters: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rajat Patidar (captain), Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli
All-Rounders: Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc (vice-captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Kohli vs Starc & Kuldeep

A standout narrative in the upcoming encounter will be the form of Virat Kohli and his face-off with two of Delhi’s most potent bowlers—Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav.

Kohli holds a statistical edge over Starc in T20s, having scored 72 runs off just 31 deliveries against the Australian quick. However, Starc’s blistering form—nine wickets from three games at an average of 11—makes this a riveting contest, particularly in the Powerplay.

Should Kohli bat through the early storm, a new challenge awaits in the form of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been frugal and effective this season, with six wickets at an economy rate of six. Kohli’s evolution as a T20 batter, especially his improved shot selection against spin, will be crucial in this duel.

Probable XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

Delhi Capitals: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma

My Dream11 Team

KL Rahul (captain), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Faf du Plessis, Tim David, Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Starc, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood (vice-captain)

Rajat Patidar and the Spin Test

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, an excellent player of spin, will be instrumental in Bengaluru’s middle-overs strategy. His ability to manoeuvre the ball and build innings under pressure could put DC’s spin attack to the test.

DC captain Axar Patel, surprisingly underused so far with just eight wicketless overs in three matches, may be key if Delhi are to stifle RCB's scoring in the middle phase.

Meanwhile, RCB’s pace duo, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have offered control during Powerplays without being headline-grabbing. Their task now is to neutralise KL Rahul, who is embracing a more aggressive approach in the early overs this season.

RCB will also keep a close eye on Faf du Plessis’s fitness. The seasoned opener missed the last fixture against Chennai Super Kings and remains a crucial asset at the top. His potential partnership with Rahul could pose a stern test for Bengaluru’s new-ball bowlers. (With inputs from Agencies)