In what turned out to be a one-sided affair on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, RCB’s balanced bowling attack and a vintage knock from Virat Kohli proved too much for a struggling Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) side. A significant injury to captain Rishabh Pant, who had to retire hurt early in the game, further marred the match for LSG.
- The Chase: Kohli and Shepherd Power Through
Chasing a modest target of 147, RCB showed no signs of panic.
Virat Kohli’s Impact: Playing as an Impact Player due to a lingering knee issue and recent illness, Kohli anchored the chase with a sublime 49 off 32 balls. He looked in total control before falling to Avesh Khan just one run short of his half-century.
Finishing Touches: Despite a brief stutter where Prince Yadav claimed two wickets in an over (removing Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma), Romario Shepherd and Tim David ensured there were no further hiccups. Shepherd finished the match in style with a boundary off the first ball of the 16th over.
- LSG’s Batting Collapse & Pant’s Injury Scare
Lucknow’s innings never found its rhythm after being put into bat by Rajat Patidar.
The Blow: In the fifth over, captain Rishabh Pant copped a brutal blow to his left elbow from a rising delivery by the returning Josh Hazlewood. Visible in pain and unable to grip the bat, Pant retired hurt (35/1 at the time), forcing Nicholas Pooran to take over the captaincy and Mukul Choudhary the wicketkeeping duties.
Bowling Dominance: RCB’s bowlers utilized the bounce of the Chinnaswamy deck effectively. Rasikh Dar was the pick of the bowlers with 4/24, including two wickets in the final over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was equally impressive, returning figures of 3/27. LSG were eventually bundled out for 146.
- Post-Match Reactions
“I’m feeling much better than the last game, though still not 100%. My knee was quite sore, and I’ve been under the weather for a few days. I’m just happy I could maintain the intensity for the team.” — Virat Kohli on his fitness.
“It’s a typical Chinnaswamy wicket—good for pace if you hit the right lengths, but also great for batters once they get in. We backed our skills and it paid off.” — Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the pitch conditions.
Match Summary
LSG: 146 all out (20 overs) | Mukul Choudhary 38, Ayush Badoni 31; Rasikh Dar 4/24, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/27
RCB: 147/5 (15.1 overs) | Virat Kohli 49, Rajat Patidar 28; Prince Yadav 2/18
Result: RCB won by 5 wickets.
What This Means for the Table
With their fourth win in five games, RCB move to 1st place on the basis of a superior Net Run Rate (NRR). LSG, conversely, slip further down the table with their third defeat in five outings, raising questions about their middle-order form and the availability of Rishabh Pant for the upcoming fixtures.