RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood is hoping the team has a change of luck with the toss.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

After a third straight defeat at home last week, Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Josh Hazlewood made a wish. “To win a toss would be nice,” Hazlewood said.

The spin of the coin has turned out to be a crucial factor at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium this season. The conditions are titled heavily in favour of chasing teams. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, having lost the toss on all three occasions, will be desperate to call it right on Thursday and insert Rajasthan Royals in to bat.

RCB’s away form, meanwhile, has been top notch. In the last match, against Punjab Kings, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal made easy work of the chase.

West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who made his maiden appearance on Sunday, is likely to keep his spot ahead of a struggling Liam Livingstone.

RR, meanwhile, is down for the count. With four losses on the trot, the visitor’s season is already in jeopardy. The last two slip-ups, when RR has crumbled from winning positions, has exposed mental frailties.

Cruising at 156 for two against Lucknow Super Giants, RR needed a comfortable 25 off 18 balls. RR inexplicably panicked and lost the plot, similar to the meek surrender to Delhi Capitals earlier.

The expected packed house will enjoy the chance to see RR’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action. The left-handed pener, who turned heads with a bright 34 against LSG, will be tested by the wily
RCB pace trio of Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal.

Adaptive: Porel has showcased a blend of intent and range.
| Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA

He is not as flashy as his left-handed Indian counterparts Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, or Priyansh Arya. He also does not have a blistering IPL century to his name, but Abishek Porel has done the job for Delhi Capitals this season.

The 22-year-old notched up his first fifty of IPL 2025 to guide DC to an eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. The knock exemplified his ability to shift gears in tricky conditions and also showcased a blend of intent and range.

He took a toll on the loose fuller deliveries in the PowerPlay, rotated strike through the middle-overs and cut loose with an innovative reverse-lap to put DC on course for the win.

While there is a sense of ease in the way he scores runs, Porel’s versatility of skill and adaptability to situations stand out. He has a strike rate in excess of 140 against both pace and spin, has batted at almost all positions from one to nine in the IPL, and can double up as anchor and finisher.

He has stepped in as an opener for DC in the absence of the injured Faf du Plessis and the out-of-form Jake Fraser-McGurk, scoring 151 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 141.12. He played two match-winning cameos at No. 3 after bouncing back from a two-ball duck in the season opener.

Interestingly, after a forgettable debut IPL campaign in 2023, Porel got a second wind through the Impact Player rule, with DC sending him in at No. 9 in its first match against Punjab Kings.

He grabbed the opportunity with an unbeaten 10-ball 32 and went on to play all 14 matches that season, ending with 327 runs while striking at almost 160.

Considered a long-term investment, Porel was one of the four players retained by DC ahead of the auction last year and the decision is already reaping rewards.