RCB vs DC IPL 2026 Injury News: Mitchell Starc’s Comeback On Cards, Virat Kohli To Play As Impact Player? Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals Predicted XI

RCB vs DC IPL 2026 Injury News: The first contest of the double-header on Saturday is about to begin soon, as the reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are in top form, with their upper-order consistently showcasing impressive performances in the tournament. Though they aren’t undefeated anymore, their back-to-back victories against the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants will maintain their confidence.

RCB’s main strengths in the IPL 2026 season thus far have been their consistency, as they did not lose their way in the campaign after an early loss. They are currently the leading contenders for participation in the playoffs.

The Delhi Capitals, conversely, have exhibited inconsistent performance and are arriving after back-to-back losses. The team led by Axar Patel can perform, but its problems with inconsistency have hindered it.

DC is presently sixth in the standings with four points, and a win against the defending champions would enable them to recover momentum and establish consistency in the current season. 

Virat Kohli To Play As Impact Player Again!

Virat Kohli has missed the last two matches due to a health issue and a knee problem. He performed a brief fielding drill the day before the match following an extensive batting session, but RCB may prefer to be cautious and utilize him as an Impact Player in another game.

Mitchell Starc’s Availability?

The Capitals are still awaiting an update on the fitness of Mitchell Starc, who is yet to arrive for the tournament. Without Starc, DC are still missing a vital piece in their puzzle.

RCB vs DC Predicted Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Probable XI: Phil Salt, Tim David, Devdutt Paddikal, Rajat Patidar (c),  Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma.

Impact Player: Virat Kohli

Delhi Capitals Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (c), Vipraj Nigam, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Kuldeep Yadav,  Mukesh Kumar.

Impact Player: Sameer Rizvi

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Mangesh Yadav, Jacob Duffy, Swapnil Singh, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Satvik Deswal

Delhi Capitals Squad: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul(w), Sameer Rizvi, David Miller, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Vipraj Nigam, Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Nitish Rana, Mitchell Starc, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prithvi Shaw, Tripurana Vijay, Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Madhav Tiwari

Also Read: SRH vs CSK, IPL 2026: Will MS Dhoni Play Tonight? Preview, H2H Record, Predicted Playing XIs