IPL 2026: Rain Delays Toss Before RCB Elect To Bowl Against KKR

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and decided to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 57th match of IPL 2026 on Wednesday.

Rain at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium delayed the toss. It was originally scheduled for 7:00 PM but was pushed to 8:30 PM. The match will now begin at 8:45 PM.

Match officials confirmed that the game would proceed with the full quota of overs despite earlier showers.

After winning the toss, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar said the team preferred to bowl first, citing familiarity with the surface from their previous game. He added that the pitch is likely to behave similarly, although variable bounce could pose a challenge.

Rajat Patidar said the team remains confident and focused on delivering consistent performances. He also confirmed that Venkatesh Iyer replaced Shepherd in the playing XI.

KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said the team has played well in recent matches. He added that the side wants to carry forward the momentum by focusing on one game at a time.

Rahane also confirmed that Varun misses out, while Saurabh has been included in the playing XI.

Conditions improved slightly ahead of the scheduled toss. On-field umpires Rohan Pandit and Nitin Menon, along with fourth umpire Kaushik Gandhi, inspected the field. Ground staff also worked carefully to clear water from the covers.

Frequent lightning, however, caused additional delays and led to a revised inspection schedule.

The Raipur pitch has not offered ideal conditions for batting. Bowlers will likely get assistance from the surface, especially because of the moisture left behind after the rain.

RCB aim to secure a victory to climb to the top of the standings, currently placed second with seven wins from 11 matches. KKR, meanwhile, sit eighth with five losses in 10 matches. A win for RCB would take them to 16 points and significantly strengthen their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood.

Also Read: Rain Disrupts RCB vs KKR IPL 2026 Match Before Toss In Raipur