New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans will head into today’s IPL 2026 match after suffering defeats in their previous matches. Defending champions RCB lost to Delhi Capitals by six wickets at home in Bengaluru, while GT’s three-game winning streak was also ended by 99 runs at home to Mumbai Indians.As such, both teams will be looking to bounce back in Friday’s game to continue their push toward the playoffs.RCB will also play its final home match of the season in Bengaluru and will hope to end the campaign with a win at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.Despite losing their last game, RCB is still among the top four teams in the standings, currently in third place with eight points from six games. GT lost their opening two games and scored a hat-trick before taking on MI, and currently sit seventh with six points from six games.Ahead of the crucial game in Bengaluru, here are five key player battles that could influence today’s outcome:Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shubman GillIn this match, RCB’s veteran opener Bhuvneshwar Kumar was dominant, dismissing Shubman Gill four times in 11 overs. Gill scored just one six in 64 balls against Bhuvi at a strike-rate of 103.12.Virat Kohli and Kamuzeng RabadaRCB’s star batsman Virat Kohli had a below-par record against Kagiso Rabada, scoring just 36 runs in seven innings. Rabada has dismissed him thrice and has conceded six wickets to Kohli in 32 balls.Josh Hazlewood VS Jos ButtlerGT batsman Jos Buttler was dominant in this match as he struck at a strike rate of 146.87 against Josh Hazlewood. In four IPL games, Buttler scored 47 runs off 32 balls while Hazlewood dismissed him just once.Raja Patidar VS Rashid KhanRCB captain Rajat Patidar has been in excellent form this season, scoring 230 runs at a strike rate of 212.96 in six innings. He will face midfielder Rashid Khan, a spinner who remains a major threat despite a poor start to the season.Phil Salt VS Mohamed SirajGT pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed Phil Salt twice in four IPL matches. However, Salter hit 200 runs against him, scoring 56 runs off 28 balls, including six maximums, and has his sights set on another big score.
