Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Lucknow Super Giants by 5 wickets in the 23rd match of the Indian Premier League 2026. It was another terrific performance from the RCB side at their home. LSG were batting first and struggled throughout the innings. Mitch Marsh was the only batter who got a start but they kept losing wickets. Ayush Badoni and Mukul stitched a partnership but LSG were bowled out for 146 in the first innings. It was an excellent bowling performance from RCB and the total was not enough on a good surface. Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost the wicket of Salt early but Kohli continued with his terrific form as they had an excellent power play. Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down the target comfortably.
Virat Kohli: "(How did tonight feel?) Much better than the last game. I'm still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I've been under the weather for four or five days now. So, just getting back up to my best. I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off. Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well. The pitch slowed down considerably and I just wanted to probably keep going in the same manner. But yeah, in the end, should have probably finished that one off as well. (On the pitch) Yeah, it was slower than normal. If you saw, there was not enough grass on it. The last 3-4 days have been very, very hot. It's been very dry as well. So, we thought it's going to be a dry, slow wicket rather than one of those bare ones that are tacky when we play in Chinnaswamy. So, it was different and hence the idea was to push the game away from the opposition and take the game away from them in the first five-six overs. And for those reasons, the powerplay batting was important and hence I say that I was happy with my approach today. I was able to put the team in front early on. (On Patidar) We have our KPIs as a batting unit and it says Rajat to go in and assess the situation. I always tell him, you're probably looking to assess the bowler's heart rate rather than the situation, like where do these guys stand. I mean, incredible. It's clarity. Also, the way our management has stacked up our team. It allows us to play in a certain way. I have to adapt my roles accordingly. It allows me to play a certain way up front with Salty. So we pass on the baton pretty nicely in this team. And yeah, just the freedom of having Romario and Tim and .. KP hasn't even batted in any games yet. So, we're sitting on a batting unit that's explosive, that's getting the job done. And yeah, it looks pretty intimidating if I was in the opposition as well if you have like Romario and Tim to walk in even after you're five down. These guys can get you 50 runs in four overs. So, that's pretty handy to have and that's giving all of us a lot of freedom. Well, it depends on the situation and the condition as well for me. Not all games are going to be 230, 240. We understand the game's moving forward pretty nicely, that the demands of the modern game are pretty different, but you always have to keep an eye out on the situation and when people play under pressure. We're still in the first half of the tournament. Second half onwards, the games are going to get tighter and people are going to be under pressure a lot more than now. So when the freedom goes away, the pressure kicks in, that's when the smarts of the game have to be applied as well, which I think will put teams in good stead, whoever can apply and adapt and play according to the conditions and the situation will be the teams that will go a long way. But yeah, the game has certainly changed. As I said, I'm trying my best. I think I've done okay so far in adapting. Early on, last two games, as I said, I haven't been at my best, but yeah, I'm always looking to push the bar.”
Nic Pooran | Stand-in LSG Captain: It's been a tough season for us, we've been below par with the bat. 175 would've been competitive. But it's no secret we have been struggling with the bat the entire season and today we paid the price. It's T20 cricket. It's a tough game. It's a tough game to stay consistent as well. But the guys have been really working hard and we're ready for them. We'll try to fight it out as well. And I just believe it's a matter of time. Just stay patient, be ready for the opportunity, and take it on the team. (On his batting) I'm feeling really good and striking the ball nicely. Unfortunately, it hasn't been going my way this time in the tournament. But that's happened before. I've been in this position already, I know how to fight. And I believe I'll get out of this. Rajat Patidar | RCB captain: (On the bowling) It was fantastic. It was a good thing that we won the toss. The way the fast bowlers hit the deck, it was nice to watch. If you have a specialist T20 bowler, it makes your job easier. They are helping all the other bowlers as well. (On the fielding today) We're working on the fielding intensity. Long way to go, we are taking one game at a time.
Josh Hazlewood | Player of the Match: Felt much better today. You got to look at who you're playing against. All the bowlers were unbelievable. I'd love to have a few funky deliveries. Always working on them. Bhuvi and I try to sum up the conditions as early as we can. That's a huge plus for us. (On Rasikh Salam Dar) He's got some nie skills, bowls the hard overs as well, it's a big tournament for him. Schedule is pretty good, hopefully I keep playing. After this win Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the table toppers with four wins in five matches. They look a very solid unit and the defending champions have started the season on an excellent note so far. On the other hand, LSG have plenty of work to do and will need to bounce back. They have lost their previous two matches and are struggling.
