RCB vs DC Match 26 Live Commentary - Bengaluru (18 April 2026)

A little too short, on leg. KL turns it to deep square leg for a single. 99 needed from 65 balls.

Not that short, pitched outside leg. Stubbs goes back and across to work it into the mid-wicket region for a run.

 FIFTY FOR KL RAHUL! Off just 30 balls. The birthday boy gets to his 42nd IPL half century. Googly on a length, turning into the stumps from outside off. Rahul makes room and punches it to the right of deep cover for two.

 FOUR! Excellent use of the wrists. Full and pushed through, on the pads. Rahul sinks to a knee and rolls his wrists over the ball to control the sweep. He plays it away from the man at short fine leg to his left for a four.

Short and around off. KL cuts it off the back foot to the right of deep cover.

1 run.

Flat and full, on off. Stubbs plays from the crease and nudges it wide of mid-wicket for a quick single.

Pushed fuller, on off, at 92 kph. KL Rahul backs away and punches it to the deep point region for a single.

Slows it up, at 89.9 kph, on middle. Stubbs laces it down to long off for a run.

Spotting KL advance, Krunal drags the length back, on off. Rahul adjusts to the length and steers it to deep point for a single.

Touch short, on the stump line, Tristan goes back and punches it to long off for another single.

Darts one on a fuller length, on middle, sliding in with the arm. KL Rahul uses his bottom hand and lifts it over the bowler. Tim David runs to his left from long on and cuts the ball off. So only six singles from Krunal's second. 

Begins with a drag-downer on off. KL Rahul hangs deep in the crease and pulls it to the right of long on. Tim David covers good ground and slides to stop it. Two taken.

FOUR! Bisects the gap with clinical precision! Short again at 100.9 kph, on the stumps. KL Rahul is quick to pivot on the back foot and pulls it between the long on and deep mid-wicket fielders for four more. Moves to 39 (22), does KL.

Oh, gets him so nearly! Suyash outfoxes KL with a googly on a good length, turning it in from middle to leg. KL Rahul advances down the track to whip it across, but misses and the ball thuds the thigh pad before rolling past the stumps and behind the keeper. Josh Hazlewood chases it from short third and just manages to pull it back before making any contact with the ropes. The replays confirm the same. Two leg byes taken.

 FOUR! Top shot! Short of a length on off stump. Rahul goes deep in his crease and flat-bats it down the ground, as the ball whistles past the stumps at the non-striker's end and races to the fence. Long on and long off never had a chance.The 50-run stand is up between these two.

Googly, on the shorter side, on middle. This is pulled to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Dropped short on the stumps. Stubbs goes deep in the crease and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single. An expensive one from Suyash. 14 runs from it.

Around the stump. Full and tossed on middle. Tristan leans on and drives inside out to deep cover for a single.

Flighted ball, full and outside off, KL Rahul lunges ahead and drives it to sweeper on the off side for a single.

The length is pulled back, on off. Stubbs hangs back and punches it to long off. One taken.

Closer to the off pole, on a fractionally shorter length, at 90.5 kph. KL Rahul late cuts it off the back foot to deep backward point for a single.

Short and a tad slower than the previous ball, around off. Stubbs rocks back and cuts it to the left of the deep cover fielder. Rasikh Salam gets across, dives and cuts it off. Two taken.

Gives it a good flight, on middle and full in length. Stubbs takes a big stride out and eases it to the short cover fielder. Just 6 runs off the over. DC need 120 runs from 78 balls.

Slower ball, full on the pads. Stubbs gently flicks it to deep backward square leg for a single.

A dipping slower one, at just 105.8 kph, full on off. KL Rahul shovels it to mid on.

At pace, too full, on middle. Rahul drills it along the carpet to the left of long off for a run. It's been a decent over from Rasikh so far.

It's Salt once again who saves two for his team. A nod of approval from Kohli. Fuller on middle and leg, 137.5 kph. Stubbs flicks it to the left of deep backward square leg. Salt sprints again, diving and flicking it back into play and doing well to cut off the boundary, keeping it to two.

Drags the length, on leg. Stubbs tucks it off the back foot to mid-wicket.

Very full and on the stumps, Stubbs thrashes it down to long on for a run. At the end of the Powerplay, 50 COMES UP FOR DC!

SIX! Wonderfully manufactured! Hazlewood serves it on a good length, outside off. Rahul presses forward and fetches it from outside off. Brings his wrists into play and swats it over square leg for a six.

Fuller now, on middle. Rahul defends it solidly with a straight bat.

FOUR! Quality shot! Hazlewood hits the deck hard, just outside the off stump. Rahul hops back, gets on top of the bounce and punches it all along the ground to the right of deep backward point for a four.

FOUR! Clever, very clever! Josh Hazlewood is uncharacteristically leaking runs. On a shortish length, over off. Rahul arches back and gets under the ball to play the upper-cut. There are two men in the short third region but he gets enough elevation and it goes right through the gap for another four.

Very full from Josh and this curves away. KL squeezes it out on the off side.

Hazlewood sticks to the yorker, just outside the off stump. Rahul makes room to go through the off side but can only jam it out to cover.

Wide! Sprayed down leg, on a back of a length. Rahul fails to lay any bat on the glance.

FOUR! Up and over! Slightly fuller, just outside the off stump. Rahul throws his hands at the ball to go back over the bowler's head. The bat turns in his hand and he does not quite get hold of it but manages to clear mid off for a boundary.

Angled in, on a back of a length, on middle. KL swivels and pulls it through square leg for one.

On top of middle, on a short of a length. Tristan pats it back past the bowler with a straight bat to mid on.

Wide! A full ball which drifts well down leg. Stubbs lets it pass. 

In the corridor, on a length. Stubbs angles it away from the crease to Kohli at a catching point.

On a length, at the stumps. Stubbs pushes it to mid on for a single.

Salam floats up a low full toss, at the toes. KL flicks it behind square leg for one, as Phil Salt tidies up.

Tipped over! On a hard length, outside off. Rahul arches back and flashes hard. The ball flies off an outside edge towards Virat Kohli, who is in a really tight catching gully position. He leaps and sticks the right hand over his head but the ball clips his fingertips and goes behind for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! DC's Impact Sub falls without making much of an impact. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has another. This is on a short of a good length, on off. Nair comes down the track and throws his hands at the ball. The ball gets big on Karun and it goes off the outer half to deep backward point, where Phil Salt charges across to his left and leans forward to take the catch before rolling over on the practice pitches. 

On top of off, on a back of a length. Rizvi punches it to cover.

Salt again in action with an insane sprint to save two for his team. Good length outside off, 131.7 kph. Rizvi hangs back and punches it to the right of deep point. Salt sprints from deep backward point, covers a lot of ground, slides to his right and pulls off a fine save, keeping the batters to two.

OUT! CAUGHT! A blinder from Jitesh Sharma. The start gets even better for RCB. Kumar hurls it on a good length, a hint of away shape. Rizvi pushes away from his body as he goes hard on the drive. The ball shapes away to catch the outside edge. There is no one at slip, so Jitesh Sharma has to go himself. He flings himself to his right full-length and holds onto a spectacular one-handed grab.

FOUR! Beautiful shot and that silences the crowd. Fractionally short, outside off. Stubbs lets the ball come to him and rides the bounce to punch it away through covers for a boundary.

SIX! A statement hit from Rahul. Hazlewood hurls it on a length, just outside the off stump. Rahul stays in the crease and opens up his front hip. He launches it up and over cover with a high elbow for a flat six.

Hazlewood pulls the length back and hits the top of off. KL drops it with soft hands in front of cover and hurries to the other end.

FOUR! Finer than Karun intended it to go but he will take it. Josh lands it on a back of a length, outside off. Karun gets on his toes to punch it away through covers. Gets more of an outside edge and goes fine of the man at deep backward point for a boundary.

Fuller than the previous ball, in the channel. Nair pushes at it with hard hands. The ball goes off an outside edge to deep backward point for a single.

In and around the off pole, on a nagging length. KL hangs on the back foot and stabs it down on the off side.

Hurls it on a good length, on middle. Rahul stays back and works it behind square leg for a single.

Edged away! At 131.7 kph, full and curving away in the air. A loose stroke from Pathum Nissanka. Pushes out in front of his body and the ball moves away to catch the outer half. It goes uppishly and down to deep backward point for a single.

Bowled by going wide on the crease, on a good length, on middle. Rahul covers the line and blocks it off.

Shaping away, on a good length, outside off. Rahul walks down the track to negate the swing. He goes searching for the ball and miscues it off the inside half to wide mid on for one.

OUT! LBW! RCB get the review right, and the Chinnaswamy crowd go ballistic. This tails back into the right-hander, on a good length, on middle. Nissanka walks down the pitch, but he is undone by the big, booming inswinger by Bhuvi. He hurriedly drops his bat down but the ball goes past the inside edge to rap him on the front pad. A loud shout but turned down by the umpire. That came back in a long way but Bhuvneshwar Kumar is keen on taking the review. Rajat Patidar sends it upstairs. No bat involved. The Ball Tracking comes up as three reds with the ball crashing into the top of the leg stump. Nissanka falls cheaply and DC are 2/1, chasing 176.

This goes away, on a nagging length. Karun extends his hands and dabs it down to point.

A fine first over from Bhuvi. He brings this one back into the right-hander, on a good length, on middle. Nair presents a straight bat for the block. The ball stands up a bit to hit the upper half before dropping on the strip. A wicket and just 2 runs off it.