RCB vs KKR Live Score, IPL 2026: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been at the top of the IPL points table for most of the league stage. But three games out, they still need two more wins to secure the IPL 2026 Playoff spot. Wednesday’s opponents were one point from six games six weeks ago. But Kolkata Knight Riders, since then, have won four straight. This RCB vs KKR fixture at Raipur is the first meeting between the two sides this season, and it arrives at a moment when neither team is quite as settled as the table suggests. A win will help RCB reclaim the top spot. A loss will push KKR to the brink of elimination.
RCB vs KKR Match Preview
Royal Challengers Bengaluru recovered from two straight defeats by beating MI in a two-wicket thriller. That result steadied them, but the manner of it was uncomfortable. They were chasing 167 at this venue and needed a Krunal Pandya fifty and a Bhuvneshwar six off the fourth ball of the last over to get there.
Virat Kohli hasn’t scored in back-to-back innings. Salt is still out with a finger injury. Bethell has scored 43 runs in four innings as his replacement. The loss of form at this crucial stage could deal a blow if RCB don’t get their act together, especially their batting.
Kolkata Knight Riders arrive having nothing to lose and four wins in the pocket. They’re eighth with nine points from 10 games, and a loss here pushes them closer to elimination. But the bowling has been sharp throughout this run, and that’s where the threat comes from. If the Raipur pitch retains the tacky character it had in the previous match, RCB’s batters have a real job against KKR’s bowling unit.
Varun Chakravarthy on a gripping surface against a top order that’s misfiring is exactly the matchup KKR will be targeting. However, there is a question mark on Chakaravarthy’s availability as he is nursing an injury. Matheesha Pathirana has joined the camp and could feature, though match fitness is still being assessed. If he plays, the bowling attack looks very different from what RCB will have planned for.
IPL 2026 Playoff Scenarios
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Seven wins from 11 matches, 14 points, 2nd on the points table. A win tonight puts them on 16 from 12 and within touching distance of confirmation. Two more wins from three remaining games make them comfortable and help them secure a Top 2 finish for a spot in Qualifier 1. RCB can also qualify with 16 points, but for that, other results will have to go their way.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Four wins in a row, eight points still up for grabs across their remaining games, fate genuinely in their own hands. Win tonight and they’re on 11 points from 11, putting real pressure on the sides just above them. Lose, and the math turns ugly fast. For KKR, this one is as close to must-win as it gets without being eliminated.
Predicted RCB vs KKR Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
Kolkata Knight Riders
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
RCB vs KKR Match Details
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 57th Match, IPL 2026
- Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
- Time: 7:30 PM IST (Toss at 7:00 PM IST)
- Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
- Broadcast: Star Sports Network (TV) | JioHotstar (Streaming)
IPL 2026 Points Table before RCB vs KKR match
13/05/2026 18:23
Raipur Pitch Report
13/05/2026 18:14
In the first IPL 2026 match in Raipur, the surface had variable bounce, making it difficult for the batters to play their shots. RCB struggled to chase 167 on it. That's a striking number for a surface that's supposed to be batting-friendly. Batters will need time at the crease before playing freely, which makes the powerplay overs critical for both teams.
Based on recent T20s at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, teams batting first have scored noticeably better. That's not what you'd expect from an IPL venue in May, but Raipur has its own character. The surface grips. The ball doesn't come onto the bat. And when the pitch plays as it did in the MI game, 160 feels like 200.
To complicate things, there are chances of rain in the afternoon and that moisture in the air could help the seamers early on.
- Bat First win: 29%
- Chase win: 71%
- Average first innings total: 149
RCB vs KKR Head to Head
13/05/2026 17:59
In 36 IPL meetings, KKR have won 21 and RCB 15, with one no result. History leans KKR's way, going all the way back to the inaugural IPL fixture in 2008 at Eden Gardens, where McCullum's century announced the tournament to the world.
RCB vs KKR Live Updates: Kolkata Knight Riders squad
13/05/2026 17:30
Kolkata Knight Riders
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RCB vs KKR Live Updates: Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad
13/05/2026 17:30
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
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