The Delhi Capitals take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 39 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The Capitals come on the back of a stunning six-wicket loss to the Punjab Kings, where they failed to defend a mammoth 264, despite KL Rahul’s masterful unbeaten 152. They host the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who they already beat once in the season. DC are in dire need of points after three wins and four losses, and will be looking to get back to winning ways by doing the double over the defending champions.
Here is Delhi Capitals’ strongest predicted XI vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Top order: Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana
KL Rahul is coming off the back of a marvellous unbeaten 152 against the Punjab Kings. He looked at his aggressive best through the innings, dominating the bowlers with the traditional grace and elegance associated with his game. He was the Capitals’ best batter last season, and they will be expecting more match-winning contributions from him.
Prithvi Shaw is expected to open the batting alongside KL Rahul. Pathum Nissanka has not been able to yield significant returns at the top, and the presence of Shaw allows the Capitals to accommodate another overseas player elsewhere.
Nitish Rana has been in top form with the bat since his return to the side. After notching up a half-century against the Sunrisers, he scored a magnificent 91 off just 44 balls against the Punjab Kings. Rana getting runs at number 3 is vital for the Capitals’ form this season.
Middle order: Sameer Rizvi (Impact), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), David Miller
Sameer Rizvi started the season brilliantly with two Player of the Match performances, but his performance has dropped with the bat in the last few games. A quickfire 41 against the Sunrisers has been his highest score since. Rizvi is a potent hitter of spin and has been shown the faith and number four. Tristan Stubbs has been Delhi’s rescuer in innings where they have lost early wickets, scoring vital runs by taking games deep.
Axar Patel has been in poor form with the bat, but has bowled brilliantly all season. He was the pick of the bowlers against RCB in the reverse fixture with three wickets. David Miller has scored vital runs in the back end of the innings and has become the team’s designated finisher.
Lower order/bowlers: Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Dushmantha Chameera
Kyle Jamieson is expected to slot in place of Auqib Nabi, as the Capitals can accommodate one more foreigner with Shaw at the top. The Kiwi speedster can generate significant bounce while also contributing at the back end. Kuldeep Yadav was brilliant against RCB last time, but took a beating against the Punjab Kings.
Mukesh Kumar started the season brilliantly with the new ball, but has been taken for runs aplenty in the last few matches. T Natarajan has been reliable in the back-end, nailing his yorkers. Dushmantha Chameera is expected to slot in for Lungi Ngidi, who was taken off during the previous game due to a concussion.
DC predicted XI against RCB for match 39
Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Dushmantha Chameera
Impact player: Sameer Rizvi
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