BENGALURU – Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dominated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to secure a convincing 5-wicket victory. The win, completed with 29 balls to spare, has propelled RCB to the number one position in the IPL 2026 points table.
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS
146/10
(20 Overs)
RCB WON BY 5 WICKETS
Player of the Match: Josh Hazlewood (1/20)
RC BENGALURU
147/5
(15.1 Overs)
Key Highlights of the Match
- King Kohli’s New Role: For the first time in his IPL career, Virat Kohli featured as an Impact Player. Coming in for Suyash Sharma during the chase, Kohli anchored the innings with a brilliant 49 off 34 balls (including 6 fours and 1 six), narrowly missing a half-century.
- Rasikh Salam’s Masterclass: Opting to bowl first, RCB’s Rasikh Salam was the star with the ball, dismantling the LSG lineup with figures of 4 wickets. He was well-supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3 wickets) and Krunal Pandya (2 wickets).
- LSG’s Batting Collapse: Lucknow struggled throughout their innings, eventually being bowled out for 146. Mitchell Marsh provided the only significant resistance with 40 runs, while Mukul Choudhary added a late 39.
- The Chase: RCB reached the target of 147 in just 15.1 overs. Apart from Kohli, captain Rajat Patidar (27) and Jitesh Sharma (23) played aggressive knocks to ensure a massive boost to the team’s Net Run Rate.
- LSG Bowling: Prince Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for Lucknow, taking 3 wickets, while Avesh Khan claimed 2.
Expert Analysis
- Tactical “Impact” Strategy: RCB’s decision to use Virat Kohli as an Impact Player allowed them to manage his workload while ensuring their chase remained aggressive. This tactical flexibility is likely to be a blueprint for RCB in upcoming high-pressure games.
- Bowling Depth: The emergence of Rasikh Salam as a genuine wicket-taker has added a new dimension to the RCB attack. His ability to take wickets in the middle overs prevented LSG from ever building a partnership.
- LSG’s Middle-Order Woes: Lucknow’s heavy reliance on the top order was exposed. With Nicholas Pooran falling early and Rishabh Pant struggling for rhythm following a minor elbow injury during the game, the LSG middle order looked fragile against quality spin and pace.
Points Table Impact
- RCB: Moves to 1st Place with 8 points from 5 matches.
- LSG: Drops to 7th Place with 4 points from 5 matches.
Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma.
Impact Player: Virat Kohli
Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma.
Impact Player: Virat Kohli
Lucknow Super Giants
Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Digvesh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan.
Impact Player: George Linde
Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Digvesh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan.
Impact Player: George Linde
