KOLKATA, APRIL 18, 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Delhi Capitals (DC) for the 26th match of the IPL season 2026 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Saturday, April 18, at 3:30 PM. Last year’s title contenders continued their season with glory, playing 5 matches with 4 wins, whereas DC continued their season in a mixed way with 2 wins and 2 losses in 4 matches.
RCB continue their season in fantastic form, led in batting by Virat Kohli, captain Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, and others. Their bowling unit is efficiently handled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, and Josh Hazlewood. In the last match, LSG badly defeated by RCB at the very same venue. In that match, Virat Kohli played as an impact player due to health issues, yet made a significant and massive impact in the game, while also holding the Orange Cap. With that performance, RCB now stand in 2nd position with 8 points.
On the other hand, DC started their campaign with two consecutive wins and then suffered losses in the last two matches. DC have a strong bowling lineup along with solid batting strength, but they face trouble due to quick wicket falls in the opening and middle order, which puts pressure on the finishers. In the last season’s RCB vs DC match, KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 93 and celebrated passionately, declaring the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as his home turf. In IPL history, RCB and DC have played 33 matches, where RCB have won 20 matches, DC have won 12, and 1 match ended with no result.
RCB Squad:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jordan Cox, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yedave, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanish Chohan, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Jacob Duffy, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar.
DC Squad:
KL Rahul, Karun Nair, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Nitish Rana, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Auqib Nabi, Lungisani Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Yadav.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI):
Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.
The weather expected in Bengaluru is hot but favorable for cricket, with afternoon temperatures around 35–37°C under partly sunny skies, cooling to about 26–27°C in the evening. Importantly, there is almost no chance of rain, so the match is unlikely to face any interruptions. The dry and clear conditions should support a full game with excellent batting conditions throughout. The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is expected to be typically batting-friendly, with a flat surface, good bounce, and short boundaries that favor stroke play. Teams usually post high scores here, especially in the first innings. Bowlers—particularly pacers—may get some assistance early with the new ball, and spinners could come into play slightly as the match progresses. However, overall it is expected to be a high-scoring contest, where chasing teams also have a strong chance due to consistent pitch behavior. It will be interesting to see how DC can bounce back against the strong and in-form
