The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have made a strong start to their IPL 2026 campaign, winning three of their first four matches. However, they face a concern ahead of their clash against the Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday, April 15 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Virat Kohli picked up an ankle injury during RCB’s 18-run win over the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. With Kohli and Salt forming a settled opening pair, his absence could disrupt RCB’s balance.
The Rishabh Pant-led Super Giants, meanwhile, have had a mixed campaign, winning two of their four matches and lingering in the bottom half of the table. Led by Rishabh Pant, they will need to step up if they are to break into the top four.
WILL KOHLI PLAY AGAINST LSG?
Virat Kohli picked up an injury, and while there’s no confirmation that he will miss the game, he hasn’t been officially cleared either. However, RCB fans can take some comfort from the fact that he returned to the nets, facing bowlers and throwdown specialists, and showed no visible discomfort while batting.
Fast bowler Rasikh Salam Dar, though, chose not to comment on Kohli’s fitness in the pre-match press conference. Earlier, there was speculation on social media that Kohli might stay back in Mumbai and skip the trip to Bengaluru. But with him having travelled to Bengaluru, it certainly boosts RCB’s hopes.
If Kohli is unavailable, RCB could look at Venkatesh Iyer as an opening option. Iyer has batted only once in the tournament after coming in as an Impact Sub against Rajasthan Royals, making 29 off 15 balls.
CAN RCB BREAK THE BENGALURU JINX VS LSG?
Lucknow Super Giants haven’t quite been at their best, and heading into their next game, but history is on their side. LSG have won both their matches at the Chinnaswamy. They came close in 2023 and went past the finish line after Nicholas Pooran’s blistering 19-ball 62. In 2024, the win was far more convincing, winning by 28 runs.
This season, LSG have won two matches, but both victories have gone right down to the wire. They could easily have lost to Kolkata Knight Riders as well, had Mukul Choudhary not produced a match-winning knock at the Eden Gardens.
RCB, on the other hand, have been dominant at the Chinnaswamy, dismantling both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. Given the form of the two teams, it wouldn’t be surprising if RCB put in another commanding, one-sided performance against LSG on Wednesday.
SHAMI KEY FOR LUCKNOW
If Lucknow are to have any real chance of winning, Mohammed Shami will need to step up once again. He has arguably been their standout bowler so far, with an impressive economy rate of 6.25 and four wickets to his name.
Shami’s ability with the new ball makes him a serious threat, as seen against Sunrisers Hyderabad when he dismissed both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma early on.
In Bengaluru, if he can strike a couple of blows upfront, it could put the Super Giants firmly in control. However, he’ll need support from the other end as well—Prince Yadav will have an important role to play in maintaining pressure and backing up Shami.
BENGALURU: PITCH AND CONDITIONS
The pitch in Bengaluru has been a belter so far, with teams crossing the 200-run mark in all four T20 innings at this IPL. RCB piled up 250 at the venue recently, and bowlers are likely to be under pressure again. Chasing could be the preferred option, with teams needing 215–220 to stay competitive.
There is no forecast of rain, though conditions will be partly cloudy. Temperatures are expected to range between 31 and 34 degrees Celsius, with manageable humidity levels.
RCB vs LSG: HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won four of their last six matches against the Lucknow Super Giants since 2022. In their most recent meeting, RCB chased down a massive target of 228 to win by six wickets with eight balls to spare in Lucknow. In Bengaluru, LSG have won both their matches against RCB.
RCB vs LSG: Predicted XI
RCB Predicted XI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli/Venkatesh Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
Impact Sub: Venkatesh Iyer/Rasikh Salam Dar
LSG Predicted XI: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c) (wk), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav
Impact Sub: George Linde
