Can RCB survive KKR’s in-form bowling attack?

• RCB faces KKR in Raipur on 13 May for Match 57 of IPL 2026.
• Table-topping RCB seeks to maintain form against surging KKR.
• Slow pitch in Raipur may favour spinners and early movement.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 57 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh

International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13.

Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB currently sit atop the points table with seven wins and four losses from 11 matches, having secured three victories in their last five outings. They come into this clash on the back of a dramatic last-ball win over the Mumbai Indians, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivering a standout all-round performance and Krunal Pandya contributing a fighting half-century.

However, RCB has a few concerns to address. Virat Kohli is coming off consecutive ducks and will be eager to return to form. Jacob Bethell has yet to effectively replace Phil Salt at the top, while Josh Hazlewood is still working his way back to peak rhythm after injury. While Bhuvneshwar has impressed, the bowling unit will need stronger support collectively.

On the other side, Ajinkya Rahane's KKR have registered four wins and five losses from 10 games, with one match ending without a result. The three-time champions have found momentum at the right time, winning four consecutive matches to stay in playoff contention. Confidence will be high, but they cannot afford any slip-ups.

KKR will look to build on their recent surge, with Finn Allen fresh off a match-winning century against the Delhi Capitals and aiming to carry that form forward.

RCB vs KKR: Head-to-Head Record

• Matches Played: 36
• Won by RCB: 15
• Won by KKR: 20
• Tie/NR: 01

RCB vs KKR: Pitch Report Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur

In the only match played at this venue in the Indian Premier League 2026 so far, RCB struggled to chase down a target of 167. The surface has shown signs of being slow and low, meaning batters will need to spend time settling in before playing their shots. The powerplay phase is likely to be decisive for both sides, with new-ball bowlers expected to extract some early movement, while spinners could play a key role during the middle overs.

RCB vs KKR: Squads

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Mangesh Yadav, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam Dar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Abhinandan Singh, Yash Dayal

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, Varun Chakaravarthy, Matheesha Pathirana, Harshit Rana, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Rahul Tripathi, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Rachin Ravindra, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki, Blessing Muzarabani, Saurabh Dubey, Sarthak Ranjan, Tejasvi Dahiya, Daksh Kamra, Akash Deep