Unbeaten RCB clash against formidable RR in the first chapter of IPL 2026's Battle Royale

With two wins in the pocket, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are all set to hit the yard for their third game of the season and the first away game of the lot. They will be going up against Rajasthan Royals in the first Battle Royale of IPL 2026.

With momentum on their side, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be hopeful of replicating what they have done in their first two games. While the bowling unit has done well, their batters have delivered two incredible showdowns, pushing back their counterparts emphatically.

Rajasthan Royals are in phenomenal form as they have pocketed three out of three wins so far. Not only have they won those games but the sheer dominance with which they sealed the games have been brilliant. With the kind of batting firepower that Rajasthan holds, the clash in Guwahati can be one of the most iconic run-fests of IPL 2026.

RCB will be coming to Guwahati on the back of a fine win against Chennai Super Kings. A Tim David masterclass combined with a collective performance from the batters saw the Royal Challengers post the highest total in IPL 2026 until now. RR will also be entering this clash with a win against Mumbai Indians in what was a rain-curtailed encounter. The sheer size of the batting units that these two sides possess guarantees a flurry of fireworks to follow suit.

Venue Watch

The surface of Guwahati has been quite conducive for the batters. The bounce on the track is true and batters usually get full value for their shots. However, there are chances of a shower which might lead to the game being impacted. But with that being said, if there is no precipitation, one can expect the bowlers to struggle until they get their discipline right.

Personal battles to watch out for:

Virat Kohli vs Jofra Archer:

Kohli has been in decent touch so far in the tournament. With an unbeaten half-century in the first game and a quickfire start in the second, he has looked completely in control of the shots. He would be looking forward to keep the RCB ship steady in the midst of the storm that their batters can cook. Jofra Archer’s ability to make the new ball meander is one of those traits that can be a bother for VK. With the kind of pace that Archer comes in with, Kohli and the Englishman can cook up some serious rivalry.

Rajat Patidar vs Sandeep Sharma

Patidar has been smoking the cricket ball whenever he has got a chance in this IPL. Knocks of 31 and 48* already have established him firmly in RCB’s extraordinary sequence of hard-hitters. It goes without saying that he is not going to change at all and only will be planning to hit the ball harder. Sandeep Sharma is one of the most experienced and reliable bowlers of Rajasthan Royals. The sheer composure of Sandeep and his ability to mix it all up makes it an intriguing battle between him and the RCB captain.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been in fine form so far. With four wickets from two games, he would once again lead RCB’s bowling attack with the new ball. At the other end, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will definitely challenge the veteran pacer, which could immediately ignite a legendary feud on the pitch. Bhuvi's variation will perfectly complement Sooryavanshi’s attacking brand of cricket.

Match detail:

Match: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Venue: Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati

Date: 10th April, 2026

Time: 7:30 PM

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 34

RCB: 17

RR: 14

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra

Rajasthan Royals:

Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, Kuldeep Sen, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma