RCB chase the top spot back from GT as KKR's must-win streak rolls into Raipur
Royal Challengers Bengaluru went into Tuesday on top of the IPL 2026 points table. They came out of it second. Gujarat Titans, with their 82-run thrashing of Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Modi on Tuesday night, climbed past them to 16 points, and RCB now walk into the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur for match 57 against Kolkata Knight Riders with a clear instruction: win and retake the top spot.
The table is tight under GT. RCB are second on 14 from 11 matches. SRH are third on 14 from 12. Punjab Kings sit fourth on 13. Then CSK and Rajasthan Royals share 12 points and Delhi Capitals are on 10. Three games left for RCB and a win on Wednesday locks in a serious push for an automatic Qualifier 1 berth, no run-rate calculators required.
KKR's must-win run runs into brutal math
Kolkata are the other side of the same table problem. Four wins on the bounce after a torrid opening to the tournament, and they are still only eighth on 9 points from 10 matches. Even a maximum sweep of their remaining fixtures probably leaves them depending on other results. None of that has stopped the run. Rinku Singh, in a season that has finally clicked, has averaged 59.25 with the bat this season on the back of 53 not out against Rajasthan and 83 not out against Lucknow. Finn Allen ripped a 47-ball century against Delhi last week, the fastest hundred in KKR's franchise history. Anukul Roy and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have lengthened the order.
Their problem heading into Raipur is the bowling side of the same coin. Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner who has carried KKR's middle overs all year, has been listed as a doubt with a fitness scare. Lose him on a slow Raipur surface and the chase floor under RCB's middle order gets a lot lower.
RCB's batting still has a Kohli-shaped question
RCB are the form team on paper but the batters have not been settled. Virat Kohli is on back-to-back ducks. The two-wicket win over Mumbai a few games back came late and from low down in the order. The Raipur deck has been read as slow and low for the powerplay and turning through the middle, the exact phase Chakravarthy would have owned. RCB will take that exchange.
The forecast in Nava Raipur is hot and dry, highs in the early 40s and a clean evening sky. The toss looks meaningful on a surface that is expected to deteriorate. Kick-off is 7:30 PM IST on Wednesday.
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