Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to regain momentum in IPL 2026 when they take on a struggling Mumbai Indians side at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday.



RCB made a strong start to their campaign, winning four of their first five matches and appearing on course for a comfortable playoff berth. However, their form has dipped in recent games, with three losses in their last five matches tightening their position in the standings.



Currently third with 12 points from 10 matches, RCB face stiff competition from Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, who are also on 12 points. With the playoff race intensifying, Bengaluru risk slipping down the table depending on other results.



More than their position, RCB will be concerned about their batting struggles. They managed only 155 on a challenging Ahmedabad pitch against Gujarat Titans, and even in a narrow nine-run defeat to Lucknow Super Giants, their chase never looked fully under control despite needing 19 runs in the final over.



Their batting lineup now faces a formidable Mumbai Indians attack featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Corbin Bosch, AM Ghazanfar and Will Jacks. With the Raipur pitch relatively unfamiliar, adaptability will be key for the batters.



RCB will be hoping for improved performances from Jacob Bethell, who has struggled since replacing the injured Phil Salt, scoring 14, 20, 5 and 4 in his four innings so far. His lack of runs has added pressure on Virat Kohli at the top.



Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has also found it tough going, with a highest score of just 23 this season, impacting RCB’s finishing strength in the death overs.



Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, come into the contest with renewed confidence after successfully chasing down 228 against Lucknow Super Giants in their previous match.



Rohit Sharma made an impressive return from injury with a quickfire 84 off 44 balls and will again be crucial at the top alongside Ryan Rickelton, especially against RCB’s experienced pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood.



Captain Hardik Pandya missed the previous game due to back spasms, with Suryakumar Yadav leading in his absence. Although Hardik has joined the squad in Raipur, a final decision on his availability will be taken closer to the match.



With the tournament entering a decisive phase, both teams know that another defeat could dent their playoff aspirations.




Teams:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, 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.




Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat, Raghu Sharma, Keshav Maharaj, Danish Malewar, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar.