IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s strongest predicted XI against Rajasthan Royals

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to play their first away game of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) when they travel to Assam to face the Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Friday, April 10. 

The defending champions have picked up four points from their opening two matches of the new season and are currently one of three sides yet to taste defeat. They come into their game against the Royals on the back of an emphatic 43-run win over arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru. Tim David’s heavy-hitting was the highlight of the night, scoring an unbeaten 70 from 25 balls, an innings comprising eight sixes.

RCB had some excellent batting displays. Apart from the aforementioned David, skipper Rajat Patidar scored 48 not out of just 19 balls while Devdutt Padikkal hit yet another half-century.

In the bowling department, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets to surpass 200 scalps in his IPL career. Meanwhile, Jacob Duffy, Abhinandan Singh and Krunal Pandya chipped in with two wickets each.

An in-form and unbeaten side like RCB have little to no reason to make any drastic changes to their side heading into their game against RR. The side which took them to two wins from as many games should persist in Guwahati barring any unfortunate injuries.

Here is RCB’s strongest predicted XI vs RR, Match 16, IPL 2026:

Top Order: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal

Virat Kohli & Devdutt Padikkal (Photo Source: IPL)

The RCB top three is one of the best in this year’s IPL, and for very good reason. Virat Kohli has scored 97 runs from two matches, including a match-winning 69 not out against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening game of the season.

Devdutt Padikkal, meanwhile, has scored two half-centuries from two games at a strike-rate of 201.81. The only one yet to fire is opener Phil Salt. But it is only a matter of time before the Welsh-born batter comes good for RCB.