Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Punjab Kings in a high-stakes IPL 2026 match in Dharamsala on Sunday, but will do so without their usual captain, Rajat Patidar. With Patidar ruled out of the trip, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma is expected to take the leadership role.
Quick facts
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings
- Competition: IPL 2026
- Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
- Day: Sunday
- RCB captain in Patidar’s absence: Jitesh Sharma
- Patidar missed Dharamsala travel and both practice sessions
- Patidar return expected: RCB’s final league game in Hyderabad
Patidar reportedly did not travel with the squad to Dharamsala and also missed both training sessions before this rematch. The absence comes after RCB’s much-anticipated replay of the IPL 2025 final, when Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings to win their maiden title.
“Rajat Patidar won’t be playing today. Jitesh will captain RCB for this game. Patidar was not seen in the team’s travel videos and missed training as well. He is expected to return for RCB’s final league game in Hyderabad,” a team source said.
For RCB, the timing is particularly tough because Patidar has been among the standout contributors this season. He has amassed 326 runs in 10 innings at an eye-catching strike rate of 195, including three half-centuries, making his absence a significant blow to the middle-order plans.
With Patidar out, Bengaluru’s batting order will need a reshuffle for a match that carries immediate playoff implications. RCB currently occupy the top spot in the IPL 2026 points table, and another win would formally confirm their qualification for the next stage of the tournament.
Bengaluru also arrive with momentum, having won their most recent matches in succession. That positive run will be tested by a second personnel issue: English opener Phil Salt remains unavailable due to a finger injury, keeping him out of the XI.
As a result, the opening role is likely to be shared by England batter Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli, giving RCB a familiar top-order structure while they adapt the rest of the lineup to cover for Patidar’s absence.
Predicted XI
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (c/wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood
- Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
