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There are three highly-anticipated fixtures coming up in the 2026 Indian Premier League.
It’s handy to have these IPL predictions at hand.
Read on for more of the latest information.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Gujarat Titans
Key talking points
RCB
Currently sitting second in the points table, RCB has found consistency with four wins from six games.
Virat Kohli remains in imperious form at the top with 247 runs, while Rajat Patidar has seamlessly transitioned into the captaincy role following RCB’s maiden title win.
RCB have been very dominant at the Chinnaswamy this season, where they have cleared the boundaries more frequently than any other side.
However, they are still managing Josh Hazlewood’s workload following early-season hamstring concerns.
GT
The Titans occupy the sixth spot with a balanced record of three wins and three losses. Captain Shubman Gill continues to lead from the front with 265 runs, supported by the rising Sai Sudharsan.
Interestingly, GT’s bowling remains their strong suit; Prasidh Krishna leads the league with 12 wickets, creating a formidable ‘Twin-Towers’ partnership with Kagiso Rabada.
A concerning anomaly for GT is their recent batting collapse – the 99-run loss to MI highlighted a vulnerable middle order that struggles when the top three fail to fire.
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Captains are nearly unanimous in their preference at this venue; across 109 completed matches, 90.8% of toss winners have chosen to field first.
The skipper’s choice to bat is clearly justified when looking at the results here – chasing sides have won approximately 54 percent of all matches played here (56 out of 104).
While the historical average first-innings score here is 172, recent seasons have seen this skyrocket. In 2026, the average first-innings score has reached an incredible 193.
Virat Kohli holds the record for the most IPL runs at this ground, having amassed 3,367 runs. No other player has even half that total.
The record for the highest chase in IPL history at this venue is 213, achieved by the Lucknow Super Giants against RCB in 2023.
The stadium holds the record for the highest team total in IPL history; 287/3 made by SRH against RCB in 2024. Conversely, it also saw RCB’s record low of 82 in 2008.
Due to its short boundaries and high altitude, the ball travels further here than at most venues. It has hosted over 1,550 sixes in its IPL history.
Weather
Expect a pleasant but warm evening in Bengaluru under partly cloudy skies. The temperature will hover around 29 degrees, providing some relief from the daytime high of 35.
Humidity will be manageable at approximately 30 percent, with a light breeze. There is no chance of rain for the evening.
Form
- RCB: L, W, W, L, W.
- GT: L, W, W, W, L.
Predicted line-ups
RCB
Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara.
GT
Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, R. Sai Kishore.
Key players
Virat Kohli
The King is in sublime form, sitting fifth in the Orange Cap race with 247 runs. Kohli’s record at his home ground is legendary, and he thrives on the high-energy atmosphere of the Bengaluru crowd.
His refined aggression in the powerplay and elite running between the wickets set the tempo for RCB’s high-octane batting style.
With the Titans possessing a world-class pace battery, Kohli’s experience in navigating high-pressure Powerplays will be the decisive factor for the hosts.
Shubman Gill
The Titans’ captain is the lynchpin of their top order, currently leading his side’s scoring with 265 runs. Gill’s ability to anchor an innings while maintaining a high strike rate is crucial, especially following GT’s recent middle-order collapses.
On a ground as small as the Chinnaswamy, his elegant power-hitting and prowess against both pace and spin will be vital. If Gill survives the new ball, his capacity for big hundreds makes him the ultimate threat to RCB’s bowling plans.
Prediction: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Playing at the Chinnaswamy, Virat Kohli’s extraordinary home form and RCB’s superior boundary-hitting depth give them a distinct edge on this small ground.
While the Titans have a world-class bowling attack, their middle-order batting has looked fragile recently. Expect RCB’s explosive top order to overpower a Gujarat side still reeling from their recent low score collapse against Mumbai.
Also read: Biggest IPL blowouts ever – the most dominant wins in history
Delhi Capitals v Punjab Kings
Key talking points
DC
The Capitals enter this match looking to bounce back from a heavy 47-run defeat to SRH on Tuesday.
While Tristan Stubbs remains in elite form—averaging 65.33 this season, the team’s bowling has struggled to contain high-scoring opponents, conceding 242 in their last outing.
PBKS
The Kings are in world-beating form, recently posting the highest score of IPL 2026 (254/7) in their 54-run win over LSG.
Priyansh Arya is the man in focus, boasting a tournament-high strike rate of 248.23 after his destructive 93 off 37 balls.
Led by Shreyas Iyer, PBKS have displayed terrifying consistency, successfully defending targets and chasing down 200-plus totals with ease. Remarkably, they are the only team in the 2026 season yet to taste defeat.
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
The ground is almost perfectly balanced. Out of 99 IPL matches played here, teams batting first have won 48 times, while chasing sides have won 50 times.
The historical average first-innings score at the ground stands at 171 runs. However, recent seasons have seen it become a high-scoring venue with totals frequently crossing 200.
The leading run-scorer at the ground is David Warner. The Aussie opener amassed 1,048 runs in 36 innings.
The record for the highest team score at this venue was set in 2025, when Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a massive 278/3 against KKR.
The Delhi Capitals hold the unfortunate record for the lowest total here, having been bowled out for just 66 runs by Mumbai Indians in 2017.
The highest successful run chase in an IPL match at this stadium is 219/6, achieved by the Mumbai Indians against CSK in 2021. More recently, Gujarat Titans chased down 205 without losing a wicket in May 2025.
Lasith Malinga holds the record for the best individual bowling performance at this venue, with figures of 5/13 taken against Delhi Capitals in 2011.
Weather
Conditions in Delhi will be extremely hot with the maximum temperature going above 40 degrees. The sky will be mostly cloudy, but don’t expect relief as humidity stays low at 11 percent.
Dry, dusty winds will blow. There is a negligible five percent chance of a stray shower in the afternoon.
Form
- DC: L, W, L, L, W.
- PBKS: W, W, W, NR, W.
Predicted line-ups
DC
Pathum Nissanka, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan.
PBKS
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar.
Key players
Tristan Stubbs
The South African finisher has been the lone consistent warrior for Delhi, carrying a batting average of 65.33 into this fixture.
His ability to manipulate the field and strike at over 160 makes him indispensable, particularly if the Capitals’ top order struggles against Punjab’s swing.
On the relatively small Arun Jaitley deck, his raw power and innovative scoop shots over fine leg will be Delhi’s best hope for matching the league leaders’ explosive scoring rate.
Priyansh Arya
The breakout superstar of 2026, Arya is the primary reason Punjab remains unbeaten. Boasting a terrifying tournament strike rate of 248.23, he has redefined Powerplay aggression, most recently dismantling LSG with a 37-ball 93.
His fearlessness against high pace and his recent record of hitting sixes at will make him the ultimate threat. If he finds his rhythm early in Delhi, he could effectively end the contest within the first six overs.:
Prediction: Punjab Kings
The King’s momentum is currently unstoppable, fuelled by the excellent form of Priyansh Arya and a middle order that has yet to buckle under pressure.
While Delhi’s Kuldeep Yadav poses a threat, PBKS’s superior bowling depth, led by Arshdeep Singh, is better equipped to exploit the Arun Jaitley Stadium’s conditions.
Expect the unbeaten leaders to extend their record-breaking winning streak.
Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad
Key talking points
RR
Rajasthan arrive with momentum restored after a recent win built on bowling discipline. The emergence of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been central to their rise, the teenage opener combining fluency with striking consistency at the top.
Yashasvi Jaiswal continues to complement him, forming one of the fastest-scoring opening partnerships this season.
With the ball, the unit of Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi and Ravindra Jadeja have provided balance and control. RR’s only notable concern remains occasional middle-order fragility, exposed in their earlier defeat to SRH.
SRH
Hyderabad’s campaign has been defined by extremes. The opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head remains among the most destructive in the competition, while Heinrich Klaasen anchors the middle order.
Yet inconsistency beyond the top three has cost them, particularly in chases. Their bowling, though, showed its ceiling in that earlier clash, with Hinge’s debut spell underlining their potential.
If SRH can marry that cutting edge with greater consistency, they remain dangerous opponents capable of unsettling even the most settled sides.
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Historically, teams batting second have dominated this ground, winning 64 percent of matches (41 out of 64).
The venue has traditionally seen moderate scores with a historical average of 165 runs. However, this has surged recently, reaching an average of 198.3 in the 2025 season.
Ajinkya Rahane is the all-time leading run-scorer at this stadium, having amassed 1,115 runs during his time with the Rajasthan Royals.
The record for the highest successful chase here is 217/6, achieved by Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Royals in 2023.
The Punjab Kings hold the record for the highest team total and a successful defence at this ground, posting 219/5 against Rajasthan in 2025.
The stadium hosted the first-ever six-wicket haul in IPL history when Sohail Tanvir took 6/14 against Chennai in the inaugural 2008 season; a record that stood for 11 years.
In a stark contrast to high-scoring games, the Rajasthan Royals were famously bundled out for just 59 runs against RCB here in 2023, the lowest team score ever at this venue.
Weather
Jaipur will remain very warm well into the evening, with temperatures settling around 35 degrees, down from a blistering day time high of 42. The sky will be partly cloudy with light winds.
Humidity will remain low at 16 percent, and while there is a slight chance of rain at five percent, it is unlikely to prevent the game from being completed.
Form
- RR: W, L, L, W, W.
- SRH: W, W, W, L, L.
Predicted line-ups
RR
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi.
SRH
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge.
Key players
Nandre Burger
Something of an unsung hero behind Jofra Archer, it was Burger who did the damage at the top of the order for RR last time out. The South African speedster has become an enforcer for the Royals in the Powerplay.
His ability to extract extra bounce from the Jaipur surface while maintaining speeds upwards of 145 clicks makes him a terrifying prospect for SRH’s aggressive openers.
With the Royals looking to protect their home turf, his battle against Travis Head will be decisive. His knack for picking up early wickets is exactly what RR needs to stifle the league’s fastest-scoring batting order.
Praful Hinge
Hinge has emerged as the breakout star of the Sunrisers’ bowling unit in the absence of Pat Cummins. Known for his deceptive pace and a potent yorker at the death, he has consistently delivered in high-pressure situations this season.
Against a Rajasthan middle order featuring the likes of Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, Hinge’s execution in the final five overs will be the difference between a chaseable target and an out-of-reach total.
Prediction: Rajasthan Royals
While SRH possesses terrifying batting power, the absence of Pat Cummins has left their bowling attack vulnerable under pressure.
Playing at home, the Royals’ balanced attack—led by the pace of Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer and the spin of Ravi Bishnoi — is perfectly suited to exploit the Jaipur conditions and contain SRH’s aggressive top order to secure the points.
Read next: The 7 exciting teenage prodigies set to light up IPL 2026
The post IPL predictions: RCB to beat GT? DC to outdo PBKS? RR to defeat SRH? appeared first on Cricket365.
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