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Hardik Pandya trains in Mumbai, but will he play against Punjab Kings?
RCB faces KKR in IPL 2026 at Raipur, where teams batting second have a 71.43% win rate. Virat Kohli seeks redemption after two consecutive ducks as RCB aims for a top-two finish.
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Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, a ground where teams batting second have won 71.43% of matches.
RCB, the pace-setters throughout the league phase, have arrived at this contest carrying both the confidence of a hard-fought win and the lingering anxiety of a top order that has not quite fired.
It was Rasikh Salam who held his nerve on the final ball against Mumbai Indians, and a misfield from Raj Bawa off his own bowling that had gifted RCB the margin they needed in a breathless last-over thriller.
Yet the questions have not gone away. Rajat Patidar's side sit second on the table with three games remaining, needing two more wins to have a genuine say in the top two. Virat Kohli, a man who has carried RCB's batting on his shoulders for the better part of two decades, has fallen for ducks in back-to-back innings. It has not happened to him since 2022.
KKR come riding four consecutive victories, winning their last two matches by eight and seven wickets respectively.
Sunil Narine has conceded just 6.51 runs per over this season, and Finn Allen, with a strike-rate of 205.88, has finally found his touch. The fitness of Varun Chakravarthy, who has taken 10 wickets in his last five games but was spotted walking with a stick, remains the one cloud over an otherwise confident KKR camp.
RCB hold a distinct home advantage at Raipur, having played here just days ago against Mumbai Indians. Bhuvneshwar Kumar swung it early and spinners found grip in the first innings. That knowledge is worth something.
KKR, by contrast, arrive at an unfamiliar ground, needing time to read a pitch that does not reveal itself easily. Four wins on the trot have given them confidence, and Sunil Narine and Finn Allen have been in devastating form, but settling into Raipur's conditions, quickly and decisively, will be their first challenge before the cricket even begins.
RCB's familiarity with the ground as well as their depth gives them an edge
RCB to win a close one.
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The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, India, is a modern cricket venue that has hosted IPL matches since 2013. Teams batting second have a strong advantage here, winning over 71% of matches. The ground averages 7.61 runs per over.
Teams batting second at Raipur have won 71.43% of matches.
Virat Kohli has scored ducks in back-to-back innings, a situation he hasn't faced since 2022.
RCB needs to win two out of their remaining three matches to have a chance at a top-two finish.
KKR has achieved four consecutive victories, winning their last two matches by eight and seven wickets.
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| Statistic | Details |
| Stadium | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium |
| City | Raipur |
| Country | India |
| First Match | 28/04/2013 |
| Last T20 Match | 10/05/2026 |
| Matches Played | 7 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 2 (28.57%) |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 5 (71.43%) |
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 4 (57.14%) |
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 3 (42.86%) |
| Matches with No Result | 0 (0.00%) |
| Highest Individual Innings | 83* — K K Nair (Delhi Capitals) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 20/05/2016 |
| Best Bowling | 4/23 — B Kumar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) vs Mumbai Indians, 10/05/2026 |
| Highest Team Innings | 167/8 — Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians, 10/05/2026 |
| Lowest Team Innings | No completed innings |
| Highest Run Chase Achieved | N/A |
| Average Runs per Wicket | 27.65 |
| Average Runs per Over | 7.61 |
| Average Score Batting First | 149.14 |
Recent form only reinforces what the overall head-to-head record has been saying all along. KKR have won three of their last five meetings against DC. However, the last match saw RCB's victory.
| Statistic | RCB | KKR |
| Matches Played | 36 | 36 |
| Won | 15 | 20 |
| Lost | 20 | 15 |
| No Result | 1 | 1 |
| Highest Score | 221 | 222 |
| Lowest Score | 49 | 84 |
Here is our favourite betting angle for the RCB vs. KKR match.
| BETTING TIP | ODDS |
| RCB to win and both team to score over 140 | 1.60 (via Dafabet) |
RCB hold an edge in this contest, and looking at the nature of the Raipur surface, big scores have not come easily here as this is not a ground that has historically favoured free-flowing batting.
However, both RCB and KKR bat remarkably deep, with match-winners spread throughout their respective lineups. Despite the conditions, 140 should be the minimum either side posts.
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Here is how both teams could line up for this match!
Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam
Impact player: Devdutt Paddikal
Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora
*All odds via Dafabet.
Here is all the key information for how to watch RCB vs. KKR: