RR vs RCB Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026, 16th Match
Match summary
Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Barsapara, Guwahati: form guide, key players, pitch, expected scores and our predicted winner.
Match details
| Match | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 16th Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Start time | 2:00 pm GMT / 7:30 pm local |
| Venue | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Toss pick | Rajasthan Royals |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Rajasthan Royals face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 16th match of IPL 2026 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on 10 April, with both sides near the top of the table.
Rajasthan have won their first three games. Their latest was by 27 runs against Mumbai Indians in an 11-over contest, after they made 150 and held Mumbai to 123 for 9. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit 39 off 14 balls and Yashasvi Jaiswal was unbeaten on 77 off 32, his second half-century of the season. Nandre Burger has five wickets and Jofra Archer three, while Ravi Bishnoi has seven wickets in three games.
RCB beat Sunrisers Hyderabad and then Chennai Super Kings by 43 runs after posting 250 for 3. Virat Kohli has 97 runs in two matches and Devdutt Padikkal 111 with back-to-back fifties, while Tim David struck an unbeaten 70 off 25 balls with eight sixes. Jacob Duffy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have taken nine wickets between them.
Two powerful batting sides at a ground that favours chasing suggests plenty of runs. We pick Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a narrow margin.
Barsapara is usually a good T20 batting surface, with decent bounce and consistent pace. Short boundaries and a quick outfield often produce big totals. Seamers may find a little movement in the first two or three overs, and spinners can slow scoring in the middle phase. Evening dew can be heavy, making chasing easier, so captains winning the toss tend to bowl first. A score of around 185 or more should be competitive.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 175–195 | – |
| Second innings | 170–190 | – |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB’s formidable top order, finishers and new-ball pair have been in outstanding form and look marginally the stronger side.
Toss pick: Rajasthan Royals
FAQ
How have Rajasthan Royals started IPL 2026?
They won their first three matches, the latest by 27 runs against Mumbai Indians in a rain-shortened 11-over game.
How is RCB’s form?
RCB won their first two games, against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, the latter by 43 runs after making 250 for 3.
Who do we expect to win RR vs RCB?
We lean towards Royal Challengers Bengaluru, though Rajasthan’s openers could make this very close.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Rajasthan Royals
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Dhruv Jurelwk
- Riyan Paragc
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Donovan Ferreira
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Jofra Archer
- Nandre Burger
- Tushar Deshpande
- Sandeep Sharma
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Philip Salt
- Virat Kohli
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidarc
- Jitesh Sharmawk
- Tim David
- Romario Shepherd
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Abhinandan Singh
- Jacob Duffy