Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Bhuvneshwar Kumar NEW DELHI: Both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans enter today’s IPL 2026 match after facing defeat in their previous games. Defending champions RCB lost their last match against Delhi Capitals by six wickets at home in Bengaluru, while GT’s three-match winning streak also ended at home when they were beaten by Mumbai Indians by 99 runs.So both teams will be looking to bounce back in Friday’s game to continue their path to the playoffs.RCB also play their last home game of the season in Bengaluru and will look to sign off in style with a win at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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“We didn’t play good cricket” – Mahela Jayawardene after MI’s biggest IPL loss vs CSKDespite losing the previous match, RCB are very much in the mix among the top four teams in the standings, with 8 points from six matches, currently third. GT, who started the campaign with two defeats, achieved a hat-trick of victories before stumbling against MI and are currently in seventh position with 6 points from six games.Ahead of the decisive encounter in Bengaluru, here are five key player battles that could influence tonight’s outcome:Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Shubman GillThis match was dominated by RCB’s veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who dismissed Shubman Gill four times in 11 innings. Against Bhuvi, Gill managed just 66 off 64 balls at a strike rate of 103.12, hitting just one six.Virat Kohli vs Kagiso RabadaRCB’s star batsman Virat Kohli has a sub-par record against Kagiso Rabada, scoring just 36 runs in seven innings. Rabada dismissed him thrice and did not concede a six to Kohli in 32 balls.Josh Hazlewood versus Jos ButtlerGT batsman Jos Buttler dominated this contest, scoring at 146.87 against Josh Hazlewood. In four IPL encounters, Buttler scored 47 runs off 32 balls, while Hazlewood dismissed him only once.Rajat Patidar vs Rashid KhanRCB captain Rajat Patidar has been in great form this season, scoring 230 runs at 212.96 in six innings. In the middle overs, he will face Rashid Khan, a spinner who, despite a modest start this season, remains a major threat.Phil Salt vs Mohammed SirajGT pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed Phil Salt twice in four IPL encounters. However, Salt hit 200 against him, scoring 56 off 28 balls, including six maximums, and will be eyeing another big score.
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