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Peter Green - May 26, 2025
This is a crucial fixture for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who currently sit third in the IPL standings. A win here could lift them to the second spot. Gujarat Titans have completed their league games with 18 points, while both RCB and Punjab Kings have 17 points each. Mumbai Indians follow closely with 16 points, and all three teams have one final match remaining.
RCB will travel to the Ekana Cricket Stadium, a venue they’ve played at recently. However, this time, they will face the home team, Lucknow Super Giants. LSG comes into this match on the back of a stunning 33-run win over Gujarat Titans, which dented GT’s chances of securing the top position in the table.
Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have faced each other five times in the Indian Premier League since LSG’s debut in 2022. In this short rivalry, RCB holds the upper hand with 3 wins, while LSG has won twice.
One of their most intense clashes came in the 2023 season when LSG pulled off a last-ball thriller, chasing down a target of 213 in Bengaluru. However, RCB bounced back later that season with a low-scoring win at Ekana Cricket Stadium, successfully defending just 126 runs. This remains their only meeting in Lucknow, with RCB emerging victorious.
Captain- Rishabh Pant
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William Orourke
Impact Players- Akash Maharaj Singh
Captain- Rajat Patidar
Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi
Impact Player: Suyash Sharma, Liam Livingstone
Mitchell Marsh (LSG): Marsh is in explosive form, having scored a century and a fifty in his last two IPL games. He smashed a brilliant 117 off just 64 balls in the previous match against Gujarat Titans.
William O’Rourke (LSG): O’Rourke has had an immediate impact since joining LSG, picking up four wickets in his last two matches. Against GT, he took three key wickets, including that of Sai Sudharsan – the tournament’s most consistent batter.
Virat Kohli (RCB): Kohli is on a remarkable run, scoring 40+ runs in each of his last five matches. His latest knock was a 43-run effort against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With 548 runs in 12 games, including seven fifties, he’s been RCB’s most reliable batter this season.
This is a must-win game for RCB in their bid to finish in the top two. However, it won’t be easy, as they face an LSG side with nothing to lose and full confidence after upsetting Gujarat Titans in their last match.
While Kohli’s highest score this season is 73, LSG has had a batter cross that mark in two of their last three games. With in-form hitters like Marsh and Pooran, LSG has the edge in batting firepower.
RCB has been aggressive early on, scoring over 92.5 runs in the first 10 overs in their last two games. They hammered 117 in the first 10 against SRH in their previous outing.
Kohli’s red-hot form makes him a solid pick to score over 33.5 runs. With five consecutive 40+ scores and four fifties this season, he remains a reliable option for consistent returns.
