On paper, in the lead-up to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and on the field during the opening two matches, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has given the impression of a champion outfit.
On display was its considerable batting might, power-hitting ability and shrewd bowling skills as it recorded two fantastic victories over defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders and bogey side Chennai Super Kings.
Wednesday will be RCB’s first opportunity to showcase its new, confident self to the Garden City faithful when it welcomes Gujarat Titans (GT) to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
What should give RCB confidence is that Phil Salt up top, skipper Rajat Patidar in the middle, and Liam Livingstone and Tim David lower down have displayed serious batting muscle that can potentially take advantage of the small boundaries.
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The bowling, led by Josh Hazlewood, seems ready for the arduous task of defending totals at the Chinnaswamy, which otherwise is a graveyard for bowlers.
The Titans, however, will offer a good test. Though the Shubman Gill-led side lost the opener to Punjab Kings, it made a good fist of the 244-run chase, eventually reaching 232. In contrast to the previous season, there is a genuine urgency in run-making from the get-go.
Then, in the 36-run victory over Mumbai Indians, Titans’ bowling nous came to the fore, with speedster Prasidh Krishna leading the way, and ably supported by the wily Rashid Khan and Mohammed Siraj.
There is also the thinking of Sai Kishore and the old warhorse Ishant Sharma to round off a capable bowling unit. Will they be able to crash RCB’s early momentum?