IPL 2026: RCB vs. DC – Head-to-Head, Last Clash, Predicted Playing XIs & More
- Rohit Chatterjee
- 7 hours ago
- 3 minutes read
On Saturday afternoon, second-placed RCB will host fifth-placed DC
On April 18, i.e., Saturday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will host the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB, who are second on the table with eight points, will aim to continue their momentum, whereas DC, who have slipped out of the top four, will try to get back into winning ways.
Ahead of the game, let us look at the history between the two sides and more.
Head-to-Head
The time has passed when Mumbai Indians used to easily beat Punjab Kings and RCB. Both teams are now the new powerhouses of IPL 👏🏻
— Ajay Jadeja (@AjayJadeja171) April 16, 2026
MI, CSK, and KKR are still stuck with 170-180 type targets, but the modern-day IPL demands scores of 220-230 🔥#MIvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/3ULJsQOrBe
RCB and DC have played 33 IPL matches against each other since the beginning of the tournament. The Bengaluru-based outfit enjoys a dominant position over Delhi: out of 33 matches, Kohli’s side has won 20, whereas the Axar Patel-led team has won only 12. Not to forget, of the 33 matches, one between the two sides ended in a draw.
Last year’s clashes
In the ongoing season, the upcoming game will be the first clash between the two sides, but last year, RCB and DC each won one game. At RCB’s home last year, the team set a meagre target of 163 runs at the expense of seven wickets.
Delhi also lost multiple wickets at the top, but KL Rahul eventually took control of the game, scoring 93 runs in 53 balls. The game also witnessed KL Rahul celebrating aggressively by pointing his bat like a sword and announcing, “Ye mera ground hai (This is my ground).”
The time has passed when Mumbai Indians used to easily beat Punjab Kings and RCB. Both teams are now the new powerhouses of IPL 👏🏻
— Ajay Jadeja (@AjayJadeja171) April 16, 2026
MI, CSK, and KKR are still stuck with 170-180 type targets, but the modern-day IPL demands scores of 220-230 🔥#MIvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/3ULJsQOrBe
Rahul reaffirmed his celebration at the post-match presentation by stating, “This is my ground, my home, know this (ground) better than anyone else.”
However, RCB returned to DC in their next match in Delhi. Batting first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, DC posted a target of 162 runs on the board, which was easily chased by RCB, thanks to Kohli’s 51 runs in 47 balls and Krunal Pandya’s 73 runs in 47 balls. Pandya also picked one wicket in the match, and therefore, for his all-round performance, he won the Player of the Match award.
Predicted XIs
RCB: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood.
🚨 Ravichandran Ashwin raised a valid point on DC sending Axar Patel at No. 4 after a strong powerplay (70 runs).
— manzur shaban (@Manzurshaban123) April 12, 2026
Axar promoted himself ahead of Tristan Stubbs, who could have continued the momentum.
Axar is known more as a finisher, and even in the Indian team, he has been… pic.twitter.com/qsmsqC8MZx
DC: KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc.
Finally, the upcoming game will mark a significant milestone for KL Rahul as he plays his 150th IPL game.
