DC vs RCB: The IPL 2025 is heating up, and Match 46 promises to be a blockbuster as Delhi Capitals (DC) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. With both teams locked at 12 points each and eyeing a top-two finish, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Fixture: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Date & Time: Sunday, April 27, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Weather: Hazy and extremely hot, with temperatures hovering around 42°C. Poor air quality may also be a factor players need to battle along with their opponents.
Delhi Capitals have been in stellar form under Axar Patel's leadership, winning six out of their eight matches so far. Their most recent victory against Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets underlined their dominance with both bat and ball clicking at the right time.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Rajat Patidar, are not far behind. Consistency from stalwarts like Virat Kohli and the fiery pace of Josh Hazlewood have been the backbone of their campaign.
When it comes to history, RCB hold the upper hand, having won 19 of their 32 encounters against DC, while Delhi have managed 12 victories.
Delhi Capitals: Abishek Porel, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Starc: A battle of two giants - Starc's fiery pace against Kohli's classic technique could set the tone for the match.
KL Rahul vs Josh Hazlewood: Rahul's calm approach at the top will be tested against Hazlewood's consistent lines.
Spinners' Impact: In Delhi's dry conditions, Kuldeep Yadav's guile and Krunal Pandya's variations could prove game-changing.
Given the red-hot form and home advantage, Delhi Capitals might start as slight favorites. However, RCB's powerful batting lineup and greater head-to-head record mean they cannot be written off. Expect a close contest where the toss could heavily influence the final outcome, especially considering the slow nature of the Delhi pitch under lights.
Delhi Capitals Squad: Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mukesh Kumar, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sameer Rizvi, Madhav Tiwari, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Darshan Nalkande, Faf du Plessis, T Natarajan, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Mohit Sharma.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Rasikh Dar Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Bethell, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh.