RCB vs KKR Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026, 57th Match
Match summary
Royal Challengers Bengaluru meet Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur on 13 May 2026. Form, key players, pitch, weather and our verdict for IPL match 57.
Match details
| Match | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 57th Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 13 May 2026 |
| Start time | 2:00 pm GMT / 7:30 pm local |
| Venue | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Toss pick | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Royal Challengers Bengaluru arrive in Raipur as defending champions with 7 wins from 11 games and a firm grip on a playoff place. They won six of their first eight, lost to Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, then answered with a last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians. Krunal Pandya made 73 off 46 balls through cramps in that chase after RCB had slipped to 39/3 in the powerplay.
The batting is led by Virat Kohli, who has 379 runs at a strike rate of 163.36, with Devdutt Padikkal on 328 and captain Rajat Patidar on 326 at a strike rate close to 200. Phil Salt scored 202 in six games earlier in the season and is expected back, while Tim David has 232 runs as a finisher. Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the attack with 21 wickets, backed by Krunal and Josh Hazlewood on 10 each.
Kolkata Knight Riders failed to win any of their first six games and then reeled off four wins in a row under Ajinkya Rahane, the latest in Delhi, where Finn Allen hit an unbeaten 100 off 47 balls to finish a chase in 14.2 overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has 269 runs, Cameron Green 232, and Rinku Singh averages above 59. Sunil Narine has 10 wickets at an economy of 6.51, Kartik Tyagi has 13 and Vaibhav Arora 11, though a toe injury to Varun Chakravarthy is a concern and Matheesha Pathirana is still working back to fitness.
Raipur usually offers an even contest between bat and ball. A fresh surface lets batters attack in the powerplay, and the dry track slowly brings spinners and change-of-pace bowlers into the game. Quick outfields and shorter straight boundaries reward clean hitting, but the bigger square boundaries ask for placement and patience. Under lights the surface tends to slow down, which can make chases awkward if early wickets fall.
Raipur is expected to be hot and slightly humid on the evening of 13 May, with temperatures around 33–35°C at the start before cooling later. Skies should be partly cloudy with only a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm, so a full match is likely. Humidity may rise through the evening and bring dew into play in the second innings, which could help the chasing side.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 175–195 | – |
| Second innings | 170–190 | – |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB have won 7 of 11 and carry the deeper, more consistent batting line-up, while KKR are still riding a recent four-game winning run.
Toss pick: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
FAQ
Who is likely to win RCB vs KKR?
Our preview leans towards Royal Challengers Bengaluru, mainly because of their consistency this season and the strength of their batting order.
Which venue hosts the match?
The 57th match of IPL 2026 is scheduled at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on 13 May.
What total is expected in Raipur?
We expect the side batting first to score somewhere between 175 and 195, with dew likely to help chasing teams later in the evening.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Virat Kohli
- Jacob Bethell
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidarc
- Jitesh Sharmawk
- Tim David
- Romario Shepherd
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Suyash Sharma
- Josh Hazlewood
Kolkata Knight Riders
Not announced.