IPL 2026: DC win toss, choose to bowl first against RCB
Bengaluru, April 18
Dehi Capitals won the toss and opted to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their Indian Premier League 2026 clash on Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
DC captain Axar Patel, after winning the toss, said he will choose to bowl first, citing the good batting conditions and the chasing-friendly nature of the Chinnaswamy pitch. He confirmed an unchanged playing XI, added that the recent break was beneficial after a couple of losses, and stressed the need for the team to focus on their strengths.
"I am going to bowl first. The wicket looks good and hard. Chinnaswamy is obviously a good chasing ground. Same XI. (On having a long break) It's good to have that break after losing a couple of games. We need to focus on our strengths," Axar said at the toss presentation.
RCB have emerged as one of the most dominant sides this season, delivering strong performances with both bat and ball. Led by Rajat Patidar, their batting lineup has been consistently productive. They have won four of their five matches in the tournament so far and will look to add another win to their campaign.
In contrast, the Delhi Capitals have experienced an inconsistent start to their campaign. Led by Axar Patel, they have shown flashes of quality but have yet to put on a complete performance. They have won two out of their four matches so far and will look to clinch their third win of the season.
RCB vs DC playing 11s:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal.
Delhi Capitals: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.
Delhi Capitals Impact Subs: Vipraj Nigam, Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Nitish Rana.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a neutral fan, this should be a cracker! RCB looking unstoppable, but DC have the players to cause an upset. Hoping for a high-scoring thriller. Let's go, cricket! 🏏
RCB's team looks so balanced this year. Patidar leading well, and having Virat at the top is always a bonus. DC's middle order looks a bit shaky on paper. RCB should win this comfortably, yaar.
DC really needs KL Rahul to play a big knock today. He's been quiet. And why is David Miller batting so low? He should come in earlier if we lose early wickets. Strategy needs to be spot on.
With all due respect to the teams and the excitement, can we talk about the Impact Player rule? It feels like it's making the game less about all-rounders and more about specialists. Just a thought 🤔.
Ee sala cup namde! 💙🖤 RCB fans, where you at? The atmosphere at Chinnaswamy must be electric! Let's hope for another Kohli classic and a win to top the table!
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