As defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepare to host Delhi Capitals (DC) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium today, the primary talking point will be whether or not Virat Kohli would be included in the Bengaluru playing XI.
Following an ankle injury sustained during the win over Mumbai Indians, Kohli was deployed as an Impact Player in RCB’s last outing against Lucknow Super Giants. While he sat out the second innings to manage his workload, he still contributed a vital 49 runs.
Kohli himself admitted after the LSG game that he is still not 100%, citing a sore knee and a recent bout of illness. However, he expressed satisfaction with his batting intensity.
The regular return: If the medical team clears his ankle and knee for full-fielding duties, Kohli returns to the XI, providing his trademark energy in the field.
The Impact pivot: RCB will likely name him as a substitute again, allowing him to focus purely on his batting without the physical strain of 20 overs on the field.
The race for the spot
Today’s 03:30 PM fixture is a massive opportunity for RCB brand
Position on the points table: RCB currently sit second on the points table with 8 points from 5 games. A win today would see them leapfrog Punjab Kings to claim the top spot.
The Historical Edge: RCB holds a commanding head-to-head record against DC, winning 20 out of their 33 encounters. In the Chinnaswamy Economy, this historical dominance acts as a high-confidence indicator for sponsors and fans alike.
RCB vs DC Probable Playing XIIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Tim David, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Rasikh Salam, 12 Suyash Sharma
Delhi Capitals (probable): Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), 3 Nitish Rana/Ashutosh Sharma, 4 Sameer Rizvi, 5 Axar Patel, 6 David Miller, 7 Tristan Stubbs, 8 Vipraj Nigam/Auqib Nabi, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 T Natarajan, 12 Mukesh Kumar