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In the race for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 57 of the season. At Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, RCB registered a thrilling last-ball win over Mumbai Indians (MI) whereas Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got the better of Delhi Capitals (DC) in their away game. KKR would look to move one spot up with their fifth win of the season whereas RCB would aim to reclaim the top spot on the points table.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders Head-to-Head Record
KKR have beaten RCB 20 out of 35 times. In their last five encounters, RCB have been on the winning side only once.
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RCB Probable Playing XI for Today’s Match
In the absence of an injured Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell may get another chance at the top as the only other overseas batting option RCB have on the bench is Jordan Cox. Romario Shepherd struggled in the run chase against MI and may get replace by Venkatesh Iyer who has been often used as an insurance when wickets fall in cluster. The ex-KKR batting all-rounder has played two games this season and scored 41 runs. Krunal Pandya experienced cramps in the previous game and missed the training session on the eve of the game. But, he is expected to fit for the KKR game.
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RCB Predicted Playing XI plus impact player - Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Venkatesh Iyer/Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar/Jacob Duffy.
Kolkata Knight Riders Expected Playing XI against RCB
KKR’s main concern is around their mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy who hurt his left leg during the game against Delhi Capitals (DC). Assistant coach Shane Watson is hoping Chakaravarthy is fit to play. If the spinner isn’t fit, KKR may be forced to make changes. They have the option of giving Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana his debut cap but it will mean sacrificing big-hitter Rovman Powell. In that case Ramandeep Singh may return. However, if KKR don’t want to compromise on batting firepower, they can replace Chakaravarthy with either Navdeep Saini or hand debut cap to left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey.
KKR Predicted Playing XI plus impact player - Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell/Ramandeep Singh, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy/Matheesha Pathirana.
Raipur Pitch Report for RCB vs KKR Match
A challenging surface for batters which was termed as a sporting wicket by MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene is expected to be used for the KKR game as well. It many not turn out to be a run-fest and batters may look to take calculative approach instead of the in-fashion slam-bang cricket.
Weather Forecast for RCB vs KKR in Raipur
There is no forecast of rain in Raipur. Dew may come into play a little in the second innings.
Key Players to Watch in Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Sunil Narine will be the key for KKR as he has a good record against Virat Kohli and some of other RCB batters. For RCB, it will be Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s job to strike early with the new ball. The probing length may trouble KKR batters who haven’t had a consistent run.
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