IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s strongest predicted XI against Kolkata Knight Riders

Published - 12 May 2026, 13:56 IST | Updated - 12 May 2026, 13:57 IST

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be aiming to take a giant stride towards qualifying for the playoffs when they lock horns with an in-form Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Match 57 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday, May 13.

RCB had lost their way in the tournament, losing two consecutive games before tasting victory against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their previous fixture at the same venue courtesy of a last-ball thriller.

The defending champions usually refrain from making any drastic changes to their playing XI, apart from the forced ones due to injuries to the usual starters. One can, therefore, expect a similar team to the one that defeated MI a few days ago.

The RCB top order usually comprises Virat Kohli opening alongside one English batter, be it Phil Salt or Jacob Bethell. Salt, however, has missed the last five games due to injury, allowing Bethell to take his place up the order.

Kohli, on the other hand, is due for a big score after scoring two consecutive ducks in this season’s IPL. Devdutt Padikkal, meanwhile, came in as an Impact Sub during their game against MI, and could do the same against KKR on Wednesday.