LSG vs RCB preview: Lucknow stand between Virat Kohli’s Bengaluru and top spot of points table

Lucknow Super Giants will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday, 7 May, at 7:30 PM IST in Match 50 of IPL 2026.

Lucknow have already been eliminated from the IPL 2026. With 2 wins from 9 matches, they sit right at the bottom of the points table. What they are left with is pride. That’s what they’ll play for.

Bengaluru, on the contrary, have had a fine tournament so far. The defending champions looked invincible, until they didn’t. They lost 2 out of their last 5 matches. But, they still have 12 points from 9 matches. They are ranked 3rd.

Match Logistics

The game is at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday, 7 May, at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss at 7 PM IST. The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.

Head-to-Head Record

RCB and LSG have faced each other 7 times in the IPL. RCB dominate the rivalry, winning 5 matches to LSG's 2. RCB's highest team total against LSG is 230; their lowest is 149. LSG's highest score stands at 227, with a lowest of 108.

In recent seasons, RCB won in both 2026 and 2025. LSG won in 2024 and once in 2023; RCB also won once that year.

Key individual records stand out. Virat Kohli leads all run-scorers with 242 runs across seven innings. Rishabh Pant holds the highest individual score for LSG in 2025, 118 off 61 balls.

RCB’s Josh Hazlewood leads the wicket charts with 10 dismissals in 4 matches. Rasikh Salam recorded the best bowling figures of 4/24 on 15 April 2026.

Predicted Playing XI

Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav (Impact Player)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar (Impact Player)

Team News

For RCB, Phil Salt is out after returning to the UK for scans. He injured his left-hand finger and has already missed 3 matches. Salt is unlikely to feature again in the group stage.

In his absence, 20-year-old Jacob Bethell will open alongside Virat Kohli. Rasikh Salam Dar is the leading candidate for the Impact Player role. He took 4 wickets in the previous meeting between these sides.

LSG wicketkeeper Josh Inglis picked up a minor knock in the previous match. He is, however, expected to be available for selection. Nicholas Pooran is likely to bat at number 3 after his explosive 63 off 21 balls in the last match.

Key Players to Watch

Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the Purple Cap with 17 wickets in 9 matches. He also makes his 200th IPL appearance tonight.

Virat Kohli leads RCB's run charts with 379 runs this season. RCB captain Rajat Patidar has scored 283 runs at a strike rate of 196.52.

Lucknow’s Nicholas Pooran is making his 100th IPL appearance tonight after smashing 63 off 21 balls recently. Mitchell Marsh has contributed 255 runs as LSG's middle-order anchor. Prince Yadav leads LSG's bowling with 13 wickets in 9 matches.

Mohammed Shami has dismissed Virat Kohli 5 times in IPL history. Kohli will aim to survive the Power Play on a sluggish Ekana pitch.

Hazlewood has conceded only 11 runs off 15 balls against Pooran since 2022. Bhuvneshwar's new-ball swing will test the entire LSG top order early.

Pitch and Conditions

Lucknow's weather on 7 May is unseasonably cool after recent rain. There is a 25-35% chance of showers during the day and early evening.

A full match is likely, but brief interruptions remain possible. At 7-8 PM, expect light rain with temperatures around 27°C. Conditions clear significantly after 8 PM. By 10 PM, skies should be clear, with no rain in the forecast.

Ekana Stadium's blacktop pitch is one of the slowest in IPL 2026. The ball grips and holds, favouring spinners and cutters. Free stroke-play will be difficult on this surface.

The average score this season at Ekana is around 155. Any total above 170 is considered match-winning here. Significant dew is expected during the second innings.

This will neutralise spinners and make the ball skid faster. The dew factor strongly favours the chasing team.

RCB, presently at a Net Run Rate of +1.420, will surpass SRH (+0.737) for the top position on the points table. Both will have 14 points. LSG’s win, however, means further trouble for Virat Kohli’s team. They still need 3 more wins to qualify for the playoffs.