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Read our big predictions for the next three matches in the Indian Premier League.
There are some interesting fixtures coming up in the 2026 IPL.
Find out more.
Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
Key talking points
Rajasthan Royals
Under the leadership of Riyan Parag, RR has had a perfect start with two wins from two, including a recent 6-run victory over GT.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is in fine form with a rapid fifty in the last game, while Ravi Bishnoi (4/41) is the primary bowling threat.
Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya’s MI have one win and one loss thus far and head into Tuesday’s encounter sitting sixth in the table.
Suryakumar Yadav (51) and Rohit Sharma (35) are finding their touch, but the team needs more from their middle order after a humbling 6-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals last time out.
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Guwahati’s stadium has a limited but high-scoring IPL history, having hosted several Rajasthan Royals home games as a secondary venue.
There’s an even split between winning while batting first (3) and winning while chasing (3).
The average first innings score at the ground is a very high 180 due largely to the pure batting pitch and small dimensions.
Riyan Parag (the local hero) is the leading run scorer at the venue with 137 runs in five innings.
The bowlers with the most wickets at the venue is Yuzvendra Chahal with six scalps.
The highest individual score: at the ground is an undefeated 97 by Quinton de Kock (KKR) against RR in 2025.
The highest team total at the ground is 199/4 by Rajasthan Royals against DC in 2023.
The best bowling figures returned at the ground are 4/30 by Nathan Ellis (PBKS) in 2023.
Weather
Expect a warm and humid evening as the city prepares for a potential shift in weather.
While much of the day will be sunny or partly cloudy with highs around 30 degrees, a 35 percent chance of light rain or thunderstorms develops toward the night.
By the time Tuesday’s game is scheduled to start the temperature will have dropped to around 22 degrees, though it may feel more like 25 due to 85 percent humidity. Winds will be light, coming from the west.
Form
- RR: W, W, W, L, L.
- MI: L, W, L, W, L.
Predicted line-ups
RR
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande.
MI
Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya (c), Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.
Key players
Dhruv Jurel
Fresh off a stellar domestic season, Jurel has evolved into a vital middle-order anchor for Rajasthan. His ability to handle high-pressure chases and rotate strike against quality spin will be crucial at the Barsapara Stadium.
With RR’s top order occasionally prone to early collapses, Jurel’s composure provides the safety net needed to set or hunt down big totals.
His lightning-quick glovework also adds immense value, making him a dual-threat player capable of swinging the game’s momentum in the death overs.
Tilak Varma
Tilak remains Mumbai’s most consistent performer in the middle order, often acting as the glue between the explosive openers and the finishers.
His proficiency against both pace and spin makes him a nightmare for opposition captains to set fields to.
In a week where MI desperately needs a statement win, Varma’s knack for finding boundaries in the middle overs will be key to countering RR’s tactical spin duo.
His maturity under pressure ensures MI remains competitive even when the big guns fail.
Prediction: Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan hold a distinct advantage playing at their secondary home in Guwahati, where they recently brushed aside CSK.
With Ravi Bishnoi leading the wicket charts and Yashasvi Jaiswal in explosive form, the Royals’ momentum outweighs MI’s current inconsistency following their loss to Delhi.
On paper the MI side is stacked, but they have yet to perform to their full potential, while RR have been excellent.
Also read: Five big IPL coaching moves that could shape the 2026 season
Delhi Capitals v Gujarat Titans
Key talking points
Delhi Capitals
DC sit in fourth place on the table, one of four teams who have yet to lose a game. Young sensation Sameer Rizvi is in scorching form, hitting 90 runs off 51 balls in the last outing.
The bowling unit is clicking, with Mukesh Kumar leading the wicket charts.
Gujarat Titans
GT are languishing at ninth on the table with two losses from two. Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill have shown flashes of brilliance, but the team lacks finishing power.
A statistical anomaly to note is their high net run rate despite being winless, suggesting they aren’t far off a breakthrough.
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Once known for its sluggish pitches, the Delhi stadium now features a fast outfield and short boundaries that favour power hitters.
Chasing is slightly more successful here, with 49 wins for chasing teams versus 47 for teams batting first.
Traditionally the average first innings score at the ground has been around 160-165, though the more batting friendly pitches of recent seasons have often seen scores above 180.
The highest individual score at the ground is 128, shared between Chris Gayle (RCB) and Rishabh Pant (DC).
Amit Mishra is the venues leading wicket taker with 58 scalps.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium features short square boundaries (approx. 65m), making it difficult for spinners to contain runs under lights.
Home team Delhi Capitals have a poor recent record at the venue with a 90 percent loss rate in their last 10 games when batting first.
The highest team total posted at the ground is a massive 278 runs.
Weather
The capital will enjoy a clear and relatively pleasant evening on Wednesday following a series of active western disturbances.
After daytime highs of 26 degrees, the temperature by game time is expected to be approximately 20 degrees. Humidity will be around 70 percent with gentle easterly winds at 8 mph.
There is no chance of rain at this hour, making it an ideal night for cricket.
Form
- DC: W, W, W, L, L.
- GT: L, L, L, L, L.
Predicted line-ups
DC
KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma.
GT
Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, T. Natarajan, Kagiso Rabada.
Key players
Axar Patel
As the captain and premier all-rounder, Axar is the heartbeat of the Delhi Capitals. On the relatively slow Arun Jaitley pitch, his stump-to-stump accuracy and subtle variations are expected to stifle the Gujarat Titans’ scoring rate.
Beyond his bowling, Axar has transformed into a reliable power-hitter, often promoted up the order to counter matchups.
His leadership and clutch play ability make him one of the most influential figures for DC as they look to maintain their unbeaten streak at home.
Sai Sudharsan
Sudharsan is the technical backbone of the Titans’ batting unit. While others look for the long ball, his ability to play through the line and find gaps ensures GT stays ahead of the required rate without taking undue risks.
He has a particularly strong record in Delhi, where his classical stroke play thrives on the true bounce.
If GT are to overcome DC’s disciplined bowling attack, Sudharsan will need to play the long innings that allows their finishers to explode later.
Prediction: Delhi Capitals
Delhi enters this clash as the clear favourite after a clinical victory over Mumbai.
Young Sameer Rizvi is currently the league’s top scorer (160 runs), and playing on a spin-friendly Delhi surface perfectly suits captain Axar Patel’s tactical strengths against a struggling, winless Titans side.
Kolkata Knight Riders v Lucknow Super Giants
Key talking points
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR may have bagged a point from Monday’s rained out meeting against PBKS, but they are still looking for their first win after two losses.
Ajinkya Rahane leads a side missing key pacer Matheesha Pathirana while Rinku Singh remains their most consistent performer with the bat.
Lucknow Super Giants
Rishabh Pant’s LSG has one win from two, sitting seventh. They come off a 5-wicket win over SRH where the middle order finally fired. Interestingly, LSG has never lost a game at Eden Gardens when batting second.
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
In recent seasons this historic ground has transformed from a spin-bowling minefield into one of the league’s batting heavens with a sky-high scoring rate.
Teams strongly prefer to bowl first at Eden Gardens; chasing teams have won 57 matches compared to 43 for those batting first.
The average first innings Score at the ground is 165.88, but in the 2024–2025 period, it frequently exceeded 190.
The leading run-scorer at the ground is Gautam Gambhir who struck 1,407 runs.
Sunil Narine is the king of Eden Gardens, holding the IPL record for most wickets at a single venue with 72.
The highest team total recorded at the venue is 262/2 made by the Punjab Kings against KKR in 2024.
The lowest team total at the ground is 49 all-out posted by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2017.
Since 2023, the scoring rate of 9.95 at Eden Gardens is the highest of any venue that has hosted five or more games.
Weather
The ‘City of Joy’ will likely see a break from the week’s earlier storms. Although scattered thunderstorms are forecast for the daytime with highs of 31 degrees, conditions are expected to clear by the evening.
By the time play starts skies should be mostly clear with periodic clouds and a temperature of roughly 26 degrees.
Humidity will remain high at around 80 percent, while gentle south-westerly winds at 4–5 mph provide some relief. The chance of precipitation on Thursday night is low, at roughly 15 percent.
Form
- KKR: NR, L, L, L, A.
- LSG: W, L, L, W, L.
Predicted line-ups
KKR
Finn Allen (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.
LSG
Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Kyle Mayers, Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi.
Key players
Ajinkya Rahane
Entrusted with the captaincy, Rahane brings a sense of calm to a KKR side currently navigating a turbulent period. His reinvented aggressive approach in the Powerplay is essential for giving KKR the early impetus they’ve lacked.
At Eden Gardens, his experience in reading the surface and managing bowling changes will be tested against a deep LSG lineup.
Rahane’s role as the stabilizing force at the top allows stroke-makers like Rinku Singh the freedom to play their natural game.
Rishabh Pant
Now leading the Super Giants, Pant returns to the ground where he has historically enjoyed great success.
His fearless approach against spin will be LSG’s primary weapon against KKR’s mystery bowlers, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pant’s ability to turn a game in the space of a handful of overs makes him the biggest threat to KKR’s plans.
His captaincy and instinctive decision-making behind the stumps will be vital in navigating the high-scoring, high-pressure environment of a night game in Kolkata.
Prediction: Lucknow Super Giants
Despite the home advantage for KKR, LSG has never lost at Eden Gardens when batting second and holds a strong 4-2 head-to-head record overall.
With KKR reeling from consecutive losses and missing key quick Matheesha Pathirana, Rishabh Pant’s balanced LSG unit is better equipped to exploit KKR’s current powerplay bowling woes.
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The post Three IPL clashes analysed: RR vs MI, DC vs GT, KKR vs LSG appeared first on Cricket365.
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