Delhi Capitals have a problem. A big one. They scored 264 runs in their last game. Still lost. KL Rahul hit 152 off 67 balls. Nitish Rana made 91. The team posted the fifth highest total in IPL history. Punjab Kings chased it down. With an over left.
Now DC have 48 hours to forget that mess. Next up? Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The defending champions. Five wins from seven matches. Sitting pretty at second place.
I have watched both teams closely this season. Here is what I think happens at the Kotla tonight.
Match Details – Quick Facts
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Match: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Match 39
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Date: April 27, 2026 (Monday)
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Time: 7:30 PM IST
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Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
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Live Streaming: JioHotstar
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TV: Star Sports Network
They play on Pitch No. 5 at the Kotla. Four matches on this pitch since IPL 2025. Average first innings score? 197. Runs. Lots of runs. Bowlers hate this pitch.
Head to Head – RCB Leads by a Lot
The numbers are not kind to Delhi. RCB have won 20 out of 34 matches against DC. Delhi won 13. One no result. But here is something. Last season, both teams won one each. And earlier this season? DC beat RCB in Bengaluru.
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At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, however, RCB have seven wins. Delhi have four. The home crowd does not seem to help much.
Current Form – Opposite Directions
RCB – WLWWL (last five)
RCB are cooking. Five wins from seven games. Second on the points table with 10 points. Net run rate of +1.101. Their only losses? Against DC earlier. And against Punjab Kings.
Rajasthan and Hyderabad also have 10 points. But RCB have a game in hand. That is a good place to be.
DC – LLWLL (last five)
Delhi lost four of their last five matches. That is not a bad patch. That is a collapse. They sit seventh with six points from seven games.
The batting clicks sometimes. KL Rahul is on fire. But the bowling? They gave away 264 runs. Then 261 before that. Bowlers are killing this team.
KL Rahul – The RCB Killer
KL Rahul loves RCB. I mean really loves them. Since leaving Bangalore in 2018, he has scored 789 runs against his old team.
His average against RCB? 69.91. His best against any team. His strike rate? 145.65. Only better against Punjab. He scored a fifty against RCB earlier this season. And he just made 152 not out two days ago. He is seeing the ball like a football.
One catch though. Rahul strikes at only 109 against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvi has dismissed him twice. Low scoring rate. That is a real battle to watch.
Virat Kohli – The Kotla King
Kohli comes home in ridiculous form. 328 runs from seven matches. Average of 54.66. Strike rate of 163.18. That is his best ever in an IPL season.
He needs 72 runs to reach 400 in a season. That would be his 11th time doing it. Only Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, and Suresh Raina have done it nine times each. Kohli is on another level.
At the Kotla, he has seven fifties. The crowd will be behind him. That is dangerous for DC.
Phil Salt Out – Big Blow for RCB
Big news. Phil Salt will not play. Dinesh Karthik confirmed it before the last game.
Salt has been RCB's powerplay weapon. 202 runs in six matches. Strike rate of 168.33. Two half-centuries. He scored 63 against DC in the first meeting.
Jacob Bethell will open again with Kohli. He made 14 runs last game. RCB need more from him.
Lungi Ngidi – Injury Doubt for DC
Lungi Ngidi took a blow to the head against Punjab. Was catching a ball. Fell hard. Stretchered off. Taken to hospital. The team said he is "stable." He got discharged. But with just one day between games, he may not play.
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Kyle Jamieson or Dushmantha Chameera could come in. Madhav Tiwari is the Indian allrounder option.
The Pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium
Flat pitch. Short boundaries. Fast outfield. That is the Kotla in 2026.
Numbers:
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Average first innings score since IPL 2023: 200
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On Pitch No. 5: 197 in four matches since IPL 2025
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Gujarat Titans scored 210 here earlier this season
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DC fell short by one run chasing that total. Last ball thriller.
Toss call: Teams might chase. The ground has a history of successful run chases. Conditions get better under lights.
Bowlers? Pacers might get help early. But containing runs is hard. Spinners come in during middle overs.
Probable Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals (likely)
KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Kyle Jamieson or Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.
Out: Lungi Ngidi (head injury)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (likely)
Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar
Out: Phil Salt (injured), Josh Hazlewood (last minute fitness test)
Key Matchups That Matter
Bhuvi vs DC top order
Bhuvi has good numbers against Delhi's top three.
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KL Rahul: 109 strike rate. Out twice.
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Nitish Rana: 122 strike rate. Out twice.
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Pathum Nissanka: Out THREE times in FOUR innings. Conceded just 22 runs in 24 balls.
If Bhuvi takes early wickets, DC could collapse.
Axar Patel vs Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh struggles against Axar. 15 runs from 19 balls. Out twice. Middle overs could get sticky.
Kuldeep vs Patidar
No specific numbers. But Patidar anchors RCB's middle order. Kuldeep's wrist spin on a pitch with some grip could be trouble.
Hazlewood vs Rahul
Hazlewood might miss out due to a tight hamstring. If he plays, he has dismissed Rahul twice in 24 balls. Rahul strikes at 125 against him. Below his usual rate.
RCB Vs DC Dream 11 Prediction 2026 – Fantasy Tips
Alright. The RCB Vs DC dream 11 prediction 2026 people want picks. Here they are.
Safe captain picks
Virat Kohli – 328 runs in seven games. Coming off 81 not out. Plays at home. Seven fifties in Delhi. Safest bat in your team.
KL Rahul – 357 runs in seven games. Average 59.50. Strike rate 187.89. Scored 152 two days ago. He is seeing the ball like a football.
Grand League picks (high risk, high reward)
KL Rahul – If he fires again, he will outscore everyone. The 152 proved he can go big.
Rajat Patidar – 238 runs at 39.66. RCB captain. Plays spin well. Low ownership. Good differential.
Top batters
V Kohli, KL Rahul, R Patidar, T Stubbs, D Padikkal, S Rizvi
Top allrounders
Krunal Pandya, Axar Patel
Top bowlers
Bhuvi, Hazlewood (if fit), Kuldeep Yadav
Dream11 team combo
1 wicketkeeper + 6 batters + 2 allrounders + 2 bowlers works best.
Punt picks
Rajat Patidar (low ownership)
Kuldeep Yadav (could take wickets if RCB's middle order chases spin)
Rasikh Salam Dar (unorthodox action, bowls death overs)
Who Wins? My Prediction
RCB go in as favourites. Most experts agree.
Why RCB wins:
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Five wins in seven games
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Batting and bowling both working
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Bhuvi owns DC's top order
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Kohli in insane form
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Death bowling has been effective
Why DC wins:
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Home ground (even though RCB dominate here historically)
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KL Rahul playing out of his mind
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They beat RCB earlier this season in Bengaluru
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Desperation. Lose this and playoffs become very hard
Prediction: RCB wins. But not easily. KL Rahul will score big again. But RCB's bowling is too disciplined for the rest of the DC batting. Kohli chases down whatever target.
Probability: RCB 60%, DC 40%.
Where to Watch Live?
TV: Star Sports Network (all channels)
Live Streaming: JioHotstar (app and website)
Match starts: 7:30 PM IST
Toss: 7:00 PM IST
The Final Thoughts
Delhi can hit big. KL Rahul proved that. But cricket is not just batting. Their bowlers gave away 250+ totals twice. That is not bad luck. That is a broken system.
RCB look complete. Kohli at the top. Patidar in the middle. Bhuvi and Hazlewood with the ball. Five wins already. Defending champions for a reason. The RCB Vs DC dream 11 prediction 2026 is simple.
Kotla has short boundaries. Two of the best batting lineups. This could be a 220 vs 210 game.
See you at 7:30 PM.
