RCB's Virat Kohli, who is recovering from an ankle injury, could once again be nominated Impact Player on Saturday. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, oftentimes slow starters, has shot off the blocks this time around. With four wins in five outings, RCB has laid claim to being early favourites to grab the IPL 2026 title.

On Saturday, Delhi Capitals faces the arduous task of stopping RCB’s run.

DC will look to Karnataka’s own, K.L. Rahul, to show the way. Rahul has deflated RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium once before, with a match-winning unbeaten 93 here last year.

Rahul, opening partner Pathum Nissanka, David Miller and the visiting batters will have to contend with a well-oiled RCB bowling unit.

Lucknow Super Giants had no answers in the previous fixture here, crumbling for 146. While Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Krunal Pandya have proved their worth time and again, RCB has found a new jewel in pacer Rasikh Salam, who picked up four wickets on Wednesday.

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On the batting front, RCB’s leading run-scorer Virat Kohli is expected to feature as an impact player once again. Kohli, who injured his ankle, is unlikely to risk fielding duties.

The DC bowlers, who have conceded scores in excess of 200 in the last two games, will find it hard to contain a marauding RCB line-up of Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David.

DC head coach Hemang Badani is optimistic that a turnaround in fortunes is just around the corner. “We lost a close game,” Badani said, referring to his side’s one-run loss to Gujarat Titans last week. “But in the last match, at Chepauk, we at least got 180 to 190. It is a question of one of our batters coming good, and we will be okay.”

Published on Apr 17, 2026