much awaited ipl 2026 encounter between Kolkata Knight Riders And Royal Challengers Bangalore After a short delay caused by rain and a wet outfield, the start finally started. While the weather threatened to disrupt the competition in Raipur, the ground staff worked swiftly to ensure conditions improved in time for the match. Fortunately for both teams and the fans, no overs were lost, allowing the game to proceed as a full contest.
With the pressure of the playoffs increasing, both sides entered the clash knowing the importance of securing two valuable points. KKR came in strong with four consecutive wins, while RCB were looking to consolidate their position in the points table.
Why is Varun Chakraborty not playing today’s match?
After the star spinner, Kolkata Knight Riders got a big shock before the match. Varun Chakraborty Was ruled out due to minor injury. kkr captain Ajinkya Rahane Vikas confirmed during the toss and admitted that the mystery spinner had been struggling physically for the last few matches.
“Unfortunately, Varun Chakraborty is out with a minor injury,” Rahane said at the time of toss.
The spinner was reportedly seen with crutches during a recent training session, which had already raised concerns among supporters. Although the franchise has not revealed the exact nature of the injury, the KKR management has decided not to risk one of their key bowlers during such a crucial stage of the tournament.
Varun has played a key role in KKR’s resurgence this season with his wicket-taking ability and economical spells in the middle overs. His absence could significantly impact Kolkata’s bowling plans, especially on a surface where slower bowlers are expected to get help.
Young fast bowler Saurabh Dubey was handed the debut cap.
With Varun unavailable for selection, Kolkata Knight Riders handed the debut cap to the young fast bowler -Saurabh Dubey. The franchise showed confidence in the uncapped fast bowler in one of the most important games of their campaign.
Dubey’s addition brings new momentum to KKR’s bowling attack and gives him a golden opportunity to make an immediate impact on the IPL stage. Kolkata has often relied on young Indian talent in pressure situations and the team management is now hopeful that the young players will rise to the occasion.
Fans will also be keen to see how the debutant handles the challenge of bowling against the explosive RCB batting lineup. Virat Kohli And tim david.
Also read: Preity Zinta criticizes fake stories amid Punjab Kings’ faltering campaign in IPL 2026
Playing XI of both the teams
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 Bangalore: Jacob Bethel, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salaam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood.
Also Read: Chennai Super Kings announces replacement for injured Ramakrishna Ghosh in IPL 2026
