Patidar's six-hitting RCB host an inconsistent Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy
RCB have been the most settled side of IPL 2026 so far. Four wins from five, second on the points table, and a captain in such ridiculous form that he is currently the leading six-hitter of the season by a clear margin. Saturday afternoon at Chinnaswamy gives them a chance to consolidate against a Delhi Capitals side that has not been able to string two performances together.
Rajat Patidar has 21 sixes from his five innings, three more than nearest challenger Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and a strike rate of 213.46 that is comfortably the best of any top-order batter in the competition. Eighteen of those 21 sixes have come in the middle overs, which is the phase Delhi have struggled most to control with the ball this season. If RCB win the toss and bat first, this could get ugly quickly.
A balanced unit, not a one-man show
The Patidar story has dominated the headlines, but the reason RCB look like a complete side this year is the support around him. Devdutt Padikkal has anchored the powerplay, Phil Salt has taken the powerplay apart on his good nights, and Tim David's finishing has finally given Bengaluru the death-overs muscle they have wanted for years. Their only loss this season came against Rajasthan, and even that was inside the final over.
The bowling has held up too. Rasikh Dar took four wickets at this same ground three nights ago to wrap up a comfortable win over Lucknow Super Giants, and the spin combination behind him has been keeping a lid on totals that the Chinnaswamy crowd is not used to seeing.
Delhi need their stars to fire together
Delhi sit fifth with two wins from four. The opening was promising. The middle has been muddled. KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller and Nitish Rana give the side an experienced top six on paper, but only one of them has produced a real innings since the Gujarat Titans defeat. The losses to GT and CSK exposed how much pressure the bowling is under when the openers do not give them a platform.
Going to Chinnaswamy with that batting in fits and starts is a tough ask. The pitch is traditionally one of the best in the country to bat on, and a defendable total here usually starts at 180. Delhi have only crossed 180 once in this campaign.
For RCB this is the kind of fixture they used to lose. This year the script has flipped. Lose at home to a side below them in the table and the doubts come back, so even with form on their side, expect Patidar to come out swinging.
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