The Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on the defending champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in Match 16 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Friday, April 10. Both sides are currently unbeaten in the league and playing some excellent brand of cricket.
RR play their second successive game in Guwahati. The inaugural champions secured a 27-run win over the Mumbai Indians (MI) last time around in a rain-affected game, which was reduced to 11 overs per team. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star of the show, scoring an unbeaten 77 to now lead the Orange Cap leaderboard at this year’s IPL.
RCB, on the other hand, handed rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) a 43-run defeat at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium to win two games on the bounce. There were a host of excellent performances for the defending champions, including Tim David’s 25-ball 70, Rajat Patidar scoring 48 not out, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking three wickets.
RR and RCB have strong teams on paper, with both sides of batters and bowlers in very good form. Both sets of new ball bowlers will have huge responsibilities on their shoulders, with opening batters from each team known for making the most of the powerplay and helping their sides get a good start to the innings.
Here are 3 player battles for RR vs RCB, Match 16 of IPL 2026:
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Yashasvi Jaiswal is currently the lead runs-scorer in the IPL, having hit 170 runs at a strike-rate of 163.46. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, on the other hand, is one of the best bowlers in the tournament’s history, who recently surpassed 200 IPL wickets.
In a crucial top-order clash, Jaiswal currently holds the edge. The two have faced each other nine times in the IPL, with the left-handed batter yet to be dismissed by the experienced bowler. Jaiswal has scored 101 from 58 balls at a strike-rate of 174.13 against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
2. Rajat Patidar vs Ravi Bishnoi
This player battle is expected to dominate the middle orders on Friday. Rajat Patidar has made an outstanding start to the 2026 IPL, scoring at a strike rate of 254.83. Bishnoi, meanwhile, is currently the Purple Cap holder with seven scalps to his name.
Patidar and Bishnoi have faced off against one another three times in the history of the IPL, with the right-handed batter scoring 45 runs, striking at a rate of 225.00 without being dismissed ever.
1. Virat Kohli vs Jofra Archer
In this box office new-ball battle, the winner between Virat Kohli and Jofra Archer’s clash could very well determine the overall winner between RR and RCB.
Kohli has faced Archer six times in the IPL and has been dismissed just once. Archer, however, has kept the 37-year-old in check and has not allowed him to score freely. Kohli has scored 47 runs at a strike-rate of just 117.50 against the England international.
