Playoff Race Heats Up: Kohli Meets DC, Rahul Faces RCB

Delhi boy: Kohli returns to Arun Jaitley Stadium where he averages 66.8 with 7 fifties in 11 IPL innings Milestone watch: Needs 11 runs to become first batter to 9,000 IPL runs. Already hit 800 boundaries + 300 sixes this season Form: Orange Cap holder with 328 runs @54.67, SR 163.18. Hit 81 off 44 vs GT last game after being dropped on. Ex-RCB captain: Played for RCB 2013-2016, 2022. DC bought him for IPL 2026 Monster form: Smashed 152_ off 67 vs PBKS on Saturday — first Indian to score 150+ in IPL. 357 runs @59.50 this season, SR 187.89 History vs RCB: Has an unbeaten 93 vs RCB at Chinnaswamy last year. Rahul also scored a half-century in the reverse fixture, helping Delhi Capitals (DC) pull off a tricky chase in Bengaluru, and is approaching this game in scintillating form. In DC's last game, Rahul blazed an incredible 152 not out off 67 deliveries against PBKS (the knock also being the reason his strike rate against PBKS climbed above his figure against RCB), and he also has scores of 57 and 92 in his four games prior to that. Rahul also enjoys an excellent record against RCB's bowling spearhead, Josh Hazlewood. Not only is Rahul the only batter to have scored more than 100 against Hazlewood in the IPL, but he's also scored more runs against the Australian quick than anyone else in all T20s. Last game: Chased 206 vs GT. Kohli 81, Padikkal 55. 5 wins from 7Playoff chance: 80% after GT win, up 12% in one night Strengths: All 5 wins had different POTM. Bowling firing: Bhuvi, Hazlewood excellent at death. Batting depth: Kohli, Padikkal, Patidar, David all in form Injury: Phil Salt ruled out with injury from net session. Last game: Lost to PBKS despite Rahul 152_ + Nitish Rana 91. Rana-Rahul added 220 off 95 balls, 2nd-highest IPL stand Playoff chance: 23% after PBKS loss — crashed 32%Issues: Lost Lungi Ngidi to head injury. Conceded 200+ in last 2 games. 24-hour turnaround after PBKS defeat Positives: Rahul + Rana found form. Miller, Stubbs finished RCB chase last week. It's another season of the IPL and Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli-ing again. He's among the top run-scorers, picking up the Orange Cap a couple of times even as its changed hands (or heads) with great frequency. His strike rate of 163.18 is his best in any IPL season and he is coming into this game on the back of a match-winning 81 against GT. And much like Rahul, Kohli loves his hometown as well, and has seven IPL fifties in Delhi. He had steered RCB to victory in a tricky chase last season at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, and DC will be vary of the threat the RCB maestro poses. This game will be played on Pitch No. 5, where GT made 210 earlier this season and DC fell short by one run in a last-ball thriller. In the four games played on this mixed-soil pitch since IPL 2025, the average first-innings score has been 197, so you can expect another high-scoring match.