Match Details:
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders( RCB vs KKR ), 57th Match, Indian Premier League, 2026
- Date and Time: May 13, 02:00 pm GMT / 08:00 pm BD / 07:30 pm local time
- Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
RCB vs KKR Tips & Match Prediction:
Who will win the toss? – Royal Challengers BengaluruWho will win the match? – Royal Challengers BengaluruRoyal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders Preview:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru( RCB ) is set to face Kolkata Knight Riders( KKR ) in their 57th match during the Indian Premier League( IPL ) 2026. This match is scheduled to take place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Wednesday, May 13.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have once again looked like one of the strongest teams in the tournament as the defending champions continue their push for another IPL title. They have won 7 of their 11 matches so far and remain firmly in the playoff race. RCB started the season brilliantly with six wins in their first eight games before suffering back-to-back defeats against Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants. However, they bounced back in dramatic fashion with a thrilling last-ball win over Mumbai Indians in Raipur.
Batting first, Mumbai posted 166/7, and RCB found themselves under serious pressure at 39/3 inside the powerplay. Krunal Pandya then produced one of the grittiest knocks of the season, scoring 73 off 46 balls despite battling cramps and taking multiple blows to the body. His innings guided Bengaluru to victory on the final delivery of the match and restored momentum at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Virat Kohli has once again led the charge with the bat, scoring 379 runs in 11 innings at an impressive strike rate of 163.36 while averaging over 42. Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Rajat Patidar have also played major roles in the middle order. Padikkal has accumulated 328 runs, while Patidar has been exceptional during the middle overs with 326 runs at a strike rate close to 200. His explosive 61 off 31 balls against Lucknow Super Giants remains one of RCB’s standout innings this season.
RCB have rotated between Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell at the top alongside Kohli after Salt missed a few matches. Salt made a strong impact earlier in the tournament with 202 runs in six games and is expected to return for this clash. Tim David has also provided valuable finishing power lower down the order, scoring 232 runs at a strike rate of nearly 197.
With the ball, veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has turned back the clock with an outstanding season. The 36-year-old has picked up 21 wickets, including a brilliant 4/23 spell against Mumbai Indians in the previous match. Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood have chipped in with 10 wickets each, while Rasikh Salam and Suyash Sharma have provided useful support throughout the campaign.
Kolkata Knight Riders, meanwhile, have staged an impressive turnaround after a disastrous start to IPL 2026. They failed to win any of their first six matches and collected only one point during that stretch because of a rain-affected game against Punjab Kings. Since then, though, Ajinkya Rahane’s side has completely revived its season by winning four matches in a row.
KKR began their comeback with a victory over Rajasthan Royals before dominating Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals through disciplined bowling performances. Their latest win came in Delhi, where they restricted the Capitals to 142/8 before chasing the target comfortably with eight wickets in hand. Finn Allen stole the show with a stunning unbeaten 100 off just 47 balls, helping KKR seal the chase in only 14.2 overs.
Allen, Cameron Green, and Rinku Singh are expected to remain central to KKR’s batting hopes. Allen had initially struggled for consistency and was briefly dropped, but his match-winning century has brought him back into form. Green also recovered after a quiet start to the season and now has 232 runs, highlighted by a superb 79 against Gujarat Titans. Rinku Singh has delivered several crucial finishing knocks, including unbeaten scores of 53 and 83 against Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow respectively, and currently averages over 59 this season.
Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi remains KKR’s leading run scorer with 269 runs, although his form has dipped after an excellent start to the tournament. On the bowling side, injuries to Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, and Matheesha Pathirana initially weakened KKR badly, but their spin attack has transformed the side in recent matches. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Anukul Roy have all contributed heavily during the winning streak.
Narine has taken 10 wickets while maintaining an excellent economy rate of 6.51. Varun Chakravarthy recovered from a slow start to claim eight wickets in three matches before going wicketless against Delhi Capitals. However, concerns remain over a toe injury he suffered recently. Anukul Roy has also impressed with eight wickets, while Kartik Tyagi has emerged as KKR’s standout fast bowler with 13 wickets this season. Vaibhav Arora has added 11 wickets as well, though at a slightly higher economy rate.
Matheesha Pathirana has now joined the KKR squad but is yet to play due to fitness concerns. Still, against a powerful RCB batting lineup, Kolkata may consider bringing him into the playing XI if he is declared fully fit before the match.
RCB vs KKR Possible Playing XI:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Rasikh Salam, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma. Impact Player: Devdutt Padikkal.
RCB vs KKR Recent 5 Match Performance:
RCB vs KKR Head-To-Head Records:
| Stats | Match | RCB Won | KKR Won | NR | Tie |
| Overall | 36 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Recent 5 Matches | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
RCB vs KKR Toss Prediction:
We’re hoping the team wins the toss and chooses to bowl first.
RCB vs KKR Pitch Report:
The pitch at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium usually provides an exciting battle between bat and ball. The fresh surface often allows batters to play attacking shots freely during the powerplay, while the dry nature of the wicket gradually brings spinners and change-of-pace bowlers into action as the innings moves forward. Fast outfields and shorter straight boundaries can reward well-timed shots, but the larger square boundaries test a batter’s placement and patience. In day-night matches, the surface generally becomes slower under lights, making run-chases slightly tricky if wickets fall early. A disciplined bowling attack with smart variations can control the scoring rate effectively on this Raipur wicket.
RCB vs KKR Weather Report:
The weather in Raipur for the May 13 evening match at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium is expected to remain hot and slightly humid, with temperatures around 33–35°C at the start of play before cooling gradually later in the night. Skies are likely to stay partly cloudy, and although there is a slight possibility of an isolated shower or thunderstorm, significant rain interruptions are not expected. Humidity levels could rise as the match progresses, bringing dew into play during the second innings, which may make gripping the ball difficult for bowlers and offer an advantage to teams chasing under lights. Overall, conditions look favorable for a full game with good batting support on a balanced Raipur surface.
Expected Scores:
1st Innings Expected Score: 175 – 195 runs2nd Innings Expected Score: 170 – 190 runsKey Notes:
Raipur pitch is expected to provide a balanced contest between bat and ball.
Pacers may get early swing and seam movement with the new ball.
Batting conditions should improve as the match progresses under lights.
Dew is likely to become a major factor in the second innings.
Spinners could struggle to grip the ball later in the game.
Teams winning the toss may prefer to bowl first.
Powerplay batting could decide the momentum of the match.
Middle overs may become crucial with quality spinners like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy in action.
A total above 190 could put significant pressure on the chasing side despite the dew factor.Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders Full Squad:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Philip Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Vicky Ostwal, Satvik Deswal
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki, Kartik Tyagi, Sarthak Ranjan, Saurabh Dubey, Tejasvi Dahiya, Daksh Kamra, Rahul Tripathi
