Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 34th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The match will be played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on 18 April 2025 at 07:30 PM IST. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Rajasthan Royals by 9 wickets in a one-sided contest in Jaipur last Sunday. RCB restricted RR to a score of 173 for 4 in their first innings, and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a thrilling half-century (75), four of the bowlers from RCB shared one wicket each. Later, RCB chased down the target with 9 wickets in hand. Two excellent half-centuries from openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli sealed them a comfortable victory. With four victories in 6 matches this season, RCB are currently sitting in third position. They have a fair chance to overtake DC at the top and replace them by winning this match. Punjab Kings Punjab Kings were thrashed by Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last-to-last match, but they picked themselves up and bounced back against Kolkata Knight Riders in their last encounter in Mullanpur. While batting first, PBKS had their worst outing in the tournament so far. They were bowled out for 111 in their first innings, and they didn't lose their confidence and roared back with their bowling. They bowled out KKR on just 95 and defended the lowest total in the tournament's history. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a superb spell, and Marco Jansen supported him well; both shared seven wickets together. Pitch Report The pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is known to be a batting paradise and is expected to remain the same throughout the match. Ideally, the surface favours medium pacers more than other bowlers. The average first innings total at this surface this year in IPL 2025 is just 166. RCB vs PBKS Head-to-Head RCB vs PBKS head-to-head at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Matches Played 12 Won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru 7 Won by Punjab Kings 5 No Result 0 Tied 0 Probable XI Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal. (Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Swastik Chikara, Swapnil Singh, Rasikh Salam, Romario Shepherd) Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Nehal Wadhera, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Priyansh Arya. (Impact Subs: Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Suryansh Shedge, Harnoor Singh) Must-Pick Players for RCB vs PBKS Top Wicketkeeper to Pick Phil Salt | RCB: Philip Salt is back to his aggressive form, and he is back with a bang, scoring a roaring half-century in the last match against RR. In 6 matches, he has scored 208 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 185.71. He will look to add some crucial runs in this match against DC as well. Prabhsimran Singh | PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh has played 6 matches this season so far and has scored 163 runs; he has been performing brilliantly so far. He scored a brilliant 30-run knock from just 15 balls against KKR in the last match, where other batters struggled to even cross a single digit. He can play a crucial role in your team if added. Top Batters to Pick Virat Kohli | RCB: Virat Kohli is slowly racing towards the orange cap. He has been consistently amassing big runs for his team this season. In 6 matches, Kohli has scored 248 runs at an average of 62 runs per match, which also includes three half-centuries. He should be included in your fantasy XI, keeping his good form in mind. Shreyas Iyer | PBKS: Shreyas Iyer has been in top form this season of IPL 2025 and would be a good pick for your fantasy XI. He should be there in your team. In 6 matches of IPL 2025, he has added 250 runs at an average of 62.5, including a power-packed half-century against SRH in the last-to-last match. He will look to continue his good form going into this match. Top All-Rounders to Pick Krunal Pandya | RCB: Krunal Pandya is undoubtedly the ace of this team this season. He might be performing with the bat as per the expectations, but his wicket-taking abilities are something no one should underestimate. He has scored 23 runs so far in three matches but has taken 8 wickets in 6 matches, with his best being 4 for 45 against MI. Marco Jansen | PBKS: One of the few all-rounders in world cricket who is capable of winning matches single-handedly. This is exactly what he did in the last match against KKR when he scalped three wickets, and he can score crucial runs. He should be included in your fantasy XI. Top Bowlers to Pick Josh Hazlewood | RCB: Josh Hazlewood has been a regular wicket-taker for the RCB this season and has been breathing fire in the power play. In six matches this season, he has taken 9 wickets at a bowling strike of 14. He would be aiming to add a few more in this match and improve his numbers going forward. Yuzvendra Chahal | PBKS: Yuzvendra Chahal regained his form against KKR in the last match, where he grabbed four wickets. He has taken 6 wickets in the tournament but his cunning leg spin deliveries can be proved to be lethal against RCB batters.