IPL 2026 Today's Match: RCB vs KKR

Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR will look to extend their winning streak to five games in IPL 2026 when they take on RCB in Raipur today

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will look to reclaim the top spot on the points table when they face an in-form Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 57 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday.

RCB currently sit second with 14 points, and another victory would almost seal their playoff qualification. However, KKR arrive with momentum on their side after four consecutive wins and know that another defeat could leave their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

Kolkata’s resurgence has been driven by a strong collective effort. Their top and middle order have finally found rhythm, while the bowling attack has delivered consistently, especially during the middle overs.

 

RCB, meanwhile, continue to rely on the new-ball brilliance of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have been among the best powerplay bowlers this season. While their batting has looked slightly inconsistent recently, the middle order has repeatedly stepped up to keep the title defence firmly on track.  

Mark Mobius, Founder, Mobius Capital Partners

 

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Now, before the two sides finally take the ground, let’s take a look at the captaincy record of both skippers, their expected playing 11 combinations, and key player match-ups for the game.

Rajat Patidar’s captaincy record in IPL (RCB)

• Matches: 27
• Wins: 18
• Losses: 9
• N/R: 0
• Win percentage: 66.66%

Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy record in IPL (KKR)

• Matches: 48
• Wins: 17
• Losses: 29
• N/R: 3
• Win percentage: 37.77%

IPL 2026: RCB playing 11 vs KKR

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look for a stronger batting performance after struggling in their previous outing against Mumbai Indians despite chasing a modest target.

Captain Rajat Patidar remains a major concern for RCB after a sharp dip in form, with the right-hander managing only one fifty-plus score in his last six innings. His return to form will be crucial for Bengaluru’s middle-order stability.

However, contributions from Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, and Krunal Pandya have helped the side maintain momentum during difficult phases. In bowling, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar continue to be RCB’s biggest strengths with the new ball.

The Bengaluru camp will also hope the Raipur surface becomes slightly better for batting after assisting bowlers in the previous match. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing 11 (probable): Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Sala

Impact players:Devdutt Padikkal, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer

RCB squad for IPL 2026:

Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Swapnil Singh, Phil Salt, Nuwan Thushara, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal

IPL 2026: KKR playing 11 vs RCB

Kolkata Knight Riders head into the clash with confidence after winning four consecutive matches to revive their playoff hopes. Their bowling attack has been the biggest reason behind the turnaround, with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy once again controlling the middle overs brilliantly.

Pacers Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi have also provided valuable support with timely breakthroughs. However, KKR’s batting still remains slightly inconsistent despite improved performances in recent games. Vice-captain Rinku Singh, Finn Allen, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have stepped up at important moments, while Cameron Green has shown signs of settling into the tournament after a slow start.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane’s poor form continues to be a concern as KKR look to keep their slim playoff qualification hopes alive.

Kolkata Knight Riders Playing 11 (probable): Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarth.

KKR squad for IPL 2026:

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Navdeep Saini, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Blessing Muzarabani, Matheesha Pathirana, Rahul Tripathi, Sarthak Ranjan, Prashant Solanki, Saurabh Dubey, Umran Malik, Daksh Kamra

IPL 2026: RCB vs KKR key player battles

RCB batters vs KKR bowlers

Batter (RCB)	Bowler (KKR)	Inns	Runs	Outs	SR
Virat Kohli	Varun Chakravarthy	8	55	1	115
Virat Kohli	Sunil Narine	21	171	4	102
Phil Salt	Varun Chakravarthy	3	41	1	256
Devdutt Padikkal	Varun Chakravarthy	7	24	0	100
Devdutt Padikkal	Sunil Narine	3	16	2	123
Jacob Bethell	Varun Chakravarthy	4	51	0	213
Rajat Patidar	Matheesha Pathirana	2	17	2	121
Tim David	Varun Chakravarthy	7	53	2	177
Tim David	Sunil Narine	10	53	1	120
Romario Shepherd	Sunil Narine	9	21	3	72
Krunal Pandya	Sunil Narine	9	31	3	94

KKR batters vs RCB bowlers

Batter (KKR)	Bowler (RCB)	Inns	Runs	Outs	SR
Finn Allen	Josh Hazlewood	3	27	2	169
Ajinkya Rahane	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	18	104	7	89
Ajinkya Rahane	Krunal Pandya	10	61	4	115
Manish Pandey	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	7	22	4	100
Manish Pandey	Krunal Pandya	8	59	0	111
Rovman Powell	Josh Hazlewood	4	9	2	113
Rovman Powell	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	6	37	1	119
Rovman Powell	Romario Shepherd	5	51	1	204
Sunil Narine	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	12	35	2	106
Sunil Narine	Romario Shepherd	6	32	0	128