Table toppers Rajasthan Royals will take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in match 16 of 2026 Indian Premier League at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.
RR have been flying high this season. The Riyan Parag-led side has won three matches on the trot and remains unbeaten, having convincingly defeated Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians. Like RR, RCB, too, are unbeaten as they have registered commanding wins over Sunrisers Hyderabad and CSK in their first two matches of the season. RR will be banking on its in-form opening pair to get them to a huge total.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit a fifty in RR's season opener against CSK and played an entertaining cameo against MI which included punishing Jaspirt Bumrah for two sixes in one over. Yashasvi Jaiswal will be upbeat after notching back-to-back half-centuries. In Ravi Bishnoi, the team also has in its ranks the season's highest wicket taker. The leg-spinner has claimed seven wickets so far, taking at least one in each of the three matches.
RCB's batting too is in form with the likes of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and Tim David getting half-centuries in the two games that the team has played. In Jacob Duffy, the team has found a valuable stand-in for pacer Josh Hazlewood. With Hazlewood still sidelined due to lack of match fitness, Duffy has stepped up impressively, already picking up five wickets. The New Zealand pacer has found enough support from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya as RCB bowlers continue to back the good work done by their batters.
Weather, Pitch
The last match played in Guwahati had to be curtailed due to rain. The India Meteorological Department has predicted thunderstorm accompanied with lightning in the city. There is a chance that the game can also get affected due to downpour.
"Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers," the IMD said.
Expect a batting friendly track for this game!
Head to Head
- Matches played: 34
- Rajasthan Royals wins: 14
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru wins: 17
- No Result: 3
Players to Watch
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): Yashasvi Jaiswal has struck two half-centuries in as many games. And while the cricket world marvels at 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's effortless six-hitting, Jaiswal quietly keeps piling on the runs at the other end, together forming one of the IPL's most destructive and feared opening pairs.
- Jacob Duffy (RCB): Jacob Duffy has ensured that RCB did not miss the experience and the skill of Josh Hazlewood in the first two games. Duffy has bowled with poise and precision that has helped him pick wickets. There still no clarity around when Hazlewood is likely to be back for the team. In such a scenario, Duffy is expected to continue spearhead RCB's bowling.
Playing XI
- RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Ravi Bishnoi
- RCB: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
LIVE Telecast
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports channels.
LIVE Stream
RR v RCB also be streamed LIVE on the JioHotstar app.
Also Read: Who Is Mukul Choudhary? 21-Year-Old Batter From Rajasthan Helps LSG Beat KKR In Final Over Thriller
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