IPL 2026: RCB aim to seal playoff berth against PBKS
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The match is scheduled to take place on Sunday. While RCB can secure their place in the playoffs with a win, PBKS aim to end their five-match losing streak. Here we look at the match preview.
Team dynamics
Kohli's form boosts RCB's confidence
Virat Kohli, who recently scored a century against Kolkata Knight Riders, will be the center of attention in this match. Having won eight of their 12 games, RCB have been brilliant across all departments this season. On the other hand, PBKS have been on a downward spiral, losing five consecutive matches after a seven-game unbeaten streak (six wins). Another defeat can all but end their playoff hopes. While they boast a destructive batting line-up, bowlers have let them down lately.
Game conditions
Pitch report and other details
The pitch at HPCA Stadium has been conducive to high-scoring games, with teams batting second winning both matches played here this season. The temperature is expected to be between 18-23 degrees Celsius during the match. However, rain interruptions are also predicted, which could affect the course of play. Meanwhile, the match will begin at 3:30pm IST and will be broadcast on JioStar Network channels. It can also be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
H2H
Here's the head-to-head record
So far, PBKS and RCB have been neck-to-neck in terms of head-to-head record. As per ESPNcricinfo, the two teams have faced each other in 37 matches, with RCB winning 19. PBKS have won 18 matches. The two sides met four times last season, with RCB prevailing thrice. Two of RCB's wins came in Qualifier 1 and the final.
XIIs
Here are the probable XIIs
PBKS (Probable XII): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak. RCB (Probable XII): Jacob Bethell/Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Rasikh Salam, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Jacob Duffy.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Prabhsimran Singh has smashed 439 runs this season at 43.90. He is currently the top scorer for PBKS in IPL 2026. Shreyas Iyer (170.64) has the best strike rate among batters with at least 1,000 IPL runs since 2025. In the ongoing season, Kohli has amassed 484 runs at 53.77. With 22 scalps at 16.13, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is leading the Purple Cap race this season.
Poll
