IPL 2026: RCB vs KKR, Match 57 – Top player battles to watch out for

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 57 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13. 

The defending champions finally put a two-game losing streak to bed when they beat the Mumbai Indians on May 10. With three games left, they sit comfortably at 14 points and will be looking to push for a strong top-two finish.

The Knight Riders come off a dominant win against the Delhi Capitals, looking to extend their four-game winning streak, which has seen them emerge as a late contender for the playoffs. With four games in hand, they will be looking to make the most of the available matches.

Here are the top Player Battles for Match 57, RCB vs KKR:

3) Finn Allen vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Finn Allen finally made his mark in IPL 2026 when he scored his first century in IPL against the Delhi Capitals. While he has struggled all season to carry on post the powerplay, the innings against the Capitals showed his situational awareness as he dug in before going berserk. 

His responsibility will be taking down veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has looked at his best in the 2026 season. He put in a Player of the Match performance against MI, with figures of 4 for 23, including three scalps in the powerplay. Of his 21 wickets in IPL 2026, 12 have come in the first six overs.

2) Rajat Patidar vs Sunil Narine

Rajat Patidar has been one of the defending champions’ most prolific batters. He has been renowned in the IPL as a dominant spin-hitter, but now looks assured against the fast bowlers as well. This has seen him grow in stature as a destructive middle-order enforcer, capable of soaking up pressure when necessary. In 2026, he has scored 326 runs at a strike rate of 195.21, which goes up to 212.8 against spin.

The Knight Riders’ spinners have been a major part of their recent upward form, led by the enigmatic Sunil Narine. Narine has picked up 10 wickets in nine matches and has bowled at an economy rate of 6.51 in the 2026 edition. Patidar’s responsibility will be to ensure that Narine is unable to settle into his rhythm.

RCB strike at a tournament-best 167.96 in the middle overs, of which Patidar is a major contributor. Narine will have to be at the top of his game to ensure the middle overs run flow is kept in check.

1) Virat Kohli vs Vaibhav Arora

It has been an interesting run for the talismanic Virat Kohli of late. He has recorded two ducks in the last two games after a brilliant start to the season. He has scored 379 runs at a strike rate of 163.36. He has been striking at 163.2 in the powerplay, the highest in his illustrious IPL career. Making a habit of taking bowlers on from the get-go, he will be itching to get back into the runs.

Against him, taking the new ball will be Vaibhav Arora, who has picked up 11 wickets in 10 games in 2026. He has developed into the Knight Riders’ bankable new-ball option since 2023. Against Kohli, though, his matchup is quite unfavourable. In the two innings that they have faced each other, Kohli has scored 18 runs in eight balls, striking at 225.