RCB faces resurgent KKR as IPL 2026 Playoffs race heats up

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to ride the wave of its exhilarating last-ball win against Mumbai Indians in front of its adopted home crowd at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur when it faces Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday.

The side looked to have squandered the game after a middle-over revival led by Krunal Pandya, but the lower order kept its calm under pressure to snap a two-game losing streak. In a season with fine margins and unpredictable outcomes, the positive result has pushed RCB from midfield combatants to table topper.

A win against the 2024 winner in the following encounter will be crucial before two do-or-die games against teams vying for the top spot.

Despite the mediocre batting effort against MI, where the top order failed to react to the pitch despite understanding its characteristics in the first innings, there are plenty of positives the team can take home. The significant one being Romario Shepherd’s spell through the middle overs. As the team’s sixth bowling option, the West Indian had been leaking runs at 12.94 and had managed only five wickets in nine matches. Making best use of the up-and-down surface, he bowled admirably well to finish with figures of 3-0-18-1.

A major pain point for RCB is wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma’s abject lack of runs this season. The 32-year-old has scored just 82 runs in nine innings at an average of 9.11. The other middle-order batters have all put their hands up and made it count at multiple points through the season. The Bengaluru-based franchise will hope Jitesh can do the same before the season reaches its showdown phase.

Finn Allen’s dominant hundred in the side’s previous clash against Delhi Capitals, after reclaiming his lost place at the top of the order, was a rare bright spark with the bat for KKR this season. 
| Photo Credit:
EMMANUAL YOGINI

The Knight Riders have been quietly making up places in the shadow of those in the Playoff struggle. After all looked lost following a six-game winless start to the season, the side has conjured up four back-to-back wins to remain in the fight. A main characteristic of these wins has been a concerted bowling effort in comparatively low-scoring games, allowing the batting core to get the job done despite its imperfections.

The return to form of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who has eight wickets in the last four games at an economy rate of 6.93, has been vital in this run. The side will hope the TN spinner can shake off a leg injury he has been carrying over the last couple of games.

Finn Allen’s dominant hundred in the side’s previous clash against Delhi Capitals, after reclaiming his lost place at the top of the order, was a rare bright spark with the bat for KKR this season. No batter has tallied 300 runs for the team, and therein lies the biggest worry heading into the business end.

Can RCB inch closer to that coveted Playoff spot? Or will KKR further its winning run and stake a claim? Another noisy night in the 65,000-capacity stadium will help us find out.

Published on May 12, 2026