Match overview
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Rajasthan Royals by 9 wickets at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on 13 April 2025. Rajasthan posted 173 for 4, a score above the ground's historical average, but RCB's response was near-flawless. PD Salt led the chase from the top of the order, earning the Player of the Match award as RCB finished on 175 for 1. The match was effectively settled in the powerplay of the second innings, where RCB scored 65 without loss against a ground average of 46.
Rajasthan's innings had reasonable shape to it. They were wicket-free through the powerplay, scoring 45, then added 69 runs for 2 wickets in the middle phase before finishing with a 59-run death burst for 2 wickets. It was a professional total on a ground that historically averages 165 in the first innings. RCB's bowlers restricted but could not quite dry up the boundary hitting when it mattered.
The chase unfolded without drama. After their dominant powerplay, RCB scored 81 runs in the middle phase for just 1 wicket, which killed any remaining Rajasthan hope. The death overs were a formality: 29 more runs and the job was done with wickets in abundance. Rajasthan's bowlers had no moment to exploit, and RCB arrived at the target inside their 20 overs in complete control.
Venue and conditions
Sawai Mansingh Stadium has hosted 97 T20 matches, building up a clear picture of what to expect. The average first-innings score is 165 and the average second-innings score is 153, so teams do generally find chasing marginally harder than setting at this ground. Yet the chase success rate stands at 64%, suggesting that when the chasing side plays well, the ground does not particularly punish them. Toss-winners have chosen to field 60% of the time, a bias that RCB followed on Sunday.
The powerplay is relatively run-friendly: the ground average is 46 runs across both teams' first six overs, which is why RCB's 65 for no loss stood out so sharply. Death-overs scoring averages 39 per side at this venue, and both innings tracked broadly within that range. The pitch in Jaipur typically offers some assistance to spinners in the middle overs, so the nature of the powerplay score often dictates how aggressively captains attack with their slower bowlers in the 7-15 over period.
How to watch
IPL 2025 is broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with selected matches also available on Sky Sports Main Event. Streaming access is via Sky Go for existing Sky subscribers, or NOW TV for a no-contract day or monthly pass. Most IPL matches start between 14:30 and 15:00 BST for the afternoon games, or 19:30 BST for the evening fixtures, so late-afternoon viewing is the norm for UK fans during the group stage.
Recent form
Rajasthan Royals went into this fixture with a mixed run. They had beaten Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings but lost to Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in their other 2025 matches. A home game against RCB looked a reasonable opportunity to steady the ship, but the performance did not reflect that. Their middle-overs phase produced runs but never the kind of acceleration that might have stretched RCB further.
Royal Challengers Bangalore's recent form was similarly inconsistent. They beat Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, and most recently defeated Kolkata Knight Riders, but suffered defeats to Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans. The win in Jaipur was their third of the season and came with the sort of convincing margin that carries psychological weight. For RCB, a 9-wicket away win puts them in a healthier position heading into the middle stretch of the group stage, and will do their run rate no harm at all.
