🏏IPL 2026: RCB vs DC,26th Match, Bengaluru 18 Apr 3:30pm IST🏏 - Page 4

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are defending champions, and they are acting like it. Apart from a minor hiccup against Rajasthan Royals, RCB have made short work of every team they have faced, registering four comfortable wins and have the best net run rate in the league. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, have had a stop-start start-stop season. They started with two wins, but now face a strong RCB side after back-to-back defeats.

Last time around, when Delhi Capitals visited Bengaluru, it was hometown hero KL Rahul who broke RCB fans' hearts with a fantastic unbeaten 93, marking his territory and saying the Chinnaswamy was his ground after acing the chase. Will Rahul have a similar impact this time around?

Pitch Report | Pommie Mbangwa and Faf du Plessis:"It's an afternoon game here at the Chinnaswamy. I tell you what, it's so hot. I spotted a few clouds, actually, and there's a slight breeze. The hope is that it'll still be on when this one begins. Let's get to the dimensions. Sixes galore here and more in the middle this time around. No real bias, just one metre in terms of square hitting (65m and 64m). And 73m down the ground. That's not a lot for these guys these days. Now, look at the surface. Again, I'll say it looks good. Looks very similar to the previous wicket they've played on here, a little bit drier, a little bit less grass. And obviously because it's a day game, expect it to be a bit slower.

Expect the spinners to come into it. If you look at a team like Delhi, having the three spinners with Vipraj in there, trying to find ways with their spin in the middle. I see some green grass all over the place. Does that mean this one is better? No, I think because it's a day game, expect it to be similar.

Generally when you play in the day, the feeling you have as a batsman is the ball is not coming on as quickly, the bounce is a little bit less. So I expect very similar to the previous game. Do you still play around in the 200s though? Yeah, like you said the previous game, 220 probably. Because of the nature of that extra player, yes, 200 is still a par score, but the way that the wicket feels like it's playing, it's just a little bit slow on the bat. Okay, it's not par that you want, it's more than par, so 200-ish and more."

"Huge cheers for KL as he enters. Shares a big hug with Kohli. I don't see Kohli with a brace on his left leg today. And he's even kicking a football around," says Kaushik. "Not too much of running or stretching for Kohli with the rest of the group as yet. Could mean another game as impact sub. But we'll keep an eye."

RCB vs DC head-to-head record in IPL

Historically, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had the upper hand in this fixture.

• Matches played: 31
• RCB wins: 20
• DC wins: 12
• No result: 1

While the overall record favours RCB, Delhi Capitals have often proven to be a tricky opponent, especially with their mix of explosive batting and wicket-taking bowlers.

Most runs in RCB vs DC clashes

Several of the IPL's biggest names have consistently delivered in this fixture, with a few players dominating the run charts.

• Virat Kohli: 1154 runs in 31 innings, average 50.17, strike rate 135.12, highest score 99
• AB de Villiers: 690 runs in 19 innings, average 49.28, strike rate 147.12
• Rishabh Pant: 421 runs in 12 innings, average 42.10, strike rate 150.35
• Chris Gayle: 311 runs in 11 innings, strike rate 146, highest score 128*
• Shreyas Iyer: 291 runs in 11 innings

Kohli's dominance stands out, not just in volume but also in consistency. His ability to anchor and accelerate makes him a central figure in this rivalry, particularly at a venue like Chinnaswamy where run-scoring opportunities are abundant.

With RCB aiming to strengthen their position at the top and DC looking to climb the table, the stakes are high for both sides.

While history favours Royal Challengers Bengaluru, recent contests suggest this rivalry is far from one-sided. With both teams possessing match-winners across departments, the outcome may ultimately come down to execution in key moments - particularly in a venue where momentum can shift rapidly.

DC have a bowler who could silence the loudest of batting line-ups with his brilliant change of pace deliveries. In fact, right from the T20 World Cup, Lungi Ngidi has been in stunning form, and now he returns to the ground of the team he won the title with last year with a job to do.

Also, as an aside, it is RCB's 100th IPL game at the Chinnaswamy! They will be the first team to play 100 IPL games at one venue.

RCB for the win