IPL 2026 Today's Match: LSG vs RCB playing 11, batters vs bowlers match-ups

Rishabh Pant-led LSG will be looking to end their six-match losing streak when they host RCB in Lucknow on Thursday

Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be desperate to end their poor home run when they take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in match 50 of IPL 2026 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow tonight. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar has won the toss and elected to field first on the night.

 

The two teams have endured contrasting campaigns so far. LSG are rooted to the bottom of the points table with just two wins from nine matches, while RCB have enjoyed a strong season with six victories in nine outings to sit second.

 

Lucknow’s biggest concern has been their inability to find the right balance despite trying several combinations. Their batting finally clicked in the previous match as they posted a massive 228, but the bowling unit failed to defend the total against Mumbai Indians, exposing their inconsistency once again.

 

RCB, meanwhile, have looked solid overall despite a recent defeat to Gujarat Titans. Questions remain over their middle order, which has lacked consistency in recent games, but the visitors are expected to retain the same playing XI for this crucial encounter.

 

Now, before the two sides finally take the field, let’s take a look at the captaincy record of both skippers, their expected playing 11 combinations, and key player match-ups for the game. 

Rishabh Pant’s captaincy record in IPL (LSG)

• Matches: 66
• Wins: 31
• Losses: 34
• N/R: 1
• Win percentage: 47.69 per cent

Rajat Patidar’s captaincy record in IPL (RCB)

• Matches: 25
• Wins: 17
• Losses: 8
• N/R: 0
• Win percentage: 68 per cent

IPL 2026: LSG playing 11 vs RCB

LSG head into the contest under immense pressure after slipping to the bottom of the points table following five defeats in their last six matches. Their campaign has been derailed by inconsistent batting displays and an inability to finish games strongly.

 

Captain Rishabh Pant’s form remains a major concern, while experienced batters Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Aiden Markram have struggled to produce consistent performances. Frequent changes in the batting order have also disrupted rhythm within the side. The bowling attack has shown flashes of promise, with Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan emerging as key wicket-takers this season.

 

However, Mohammed Shami’s dip in form and the team’s struggles at the death have hurt them badly. LSG will need a much-improved collective effort against a confident RCB side.

 

Lucknow Super Giants Playing 11: Mitchell Marsh, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav 

LSG squad for IPL 2026:

 

Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (wk/capt), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Himmat Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Naman Tiwari, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohsin Khan, George Linde

IPL 2026: RCB playing 11 vs LSG

RCB will be eager to bounce back after a dramatic batting collapse against Gujarat Titans, where they lost eight wickets for just 76 runs. Despite that setback, the Bengaluru side remains firmly in the play-off race with 12 points and will back their aggressive batting unit to respond strongly.

 

Virat Kohli has been the standout performer with 379 runs, while Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal have also delivered crucial contributions in the middle order. With Phil Salt unavailable due to a finger injury, Jacob Bethell is expected to continue at the top alongside Kohli.

 

The bowling attack remains RCB’s biggest strength this season. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood have formed a lethal pace partnership, while Krunal Pandya’s all-round performances and Suyash Sharma’s wicket-taking ability add further balance to the side.

 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing 11: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Josh Hazlewood

 

RCB squad for IPL 2026:

 

Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Swapnil Singh, Philip Salt, Nuwan Thushara, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal

IPL 2026: LSG vs RCB key player battles

LSG batters vs RCB bowlers

 

Batter (LSG)	Bowler (RCB)	Inns	Runs	Outs	SR
Mitchell Marsh	Josh Hazlewood	8	54	3	132
Mitchell Marsh	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	6	39	2	144
Aiden Markram	Josh Hazlewood	5	28	2	118
Rishabh Pant	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	12	84	3	146
Rishabh Pant	Josh Hazlewood	6	36	2	128
Josh Inglis	Josh Hazlewood	4	31	1	155
Nicholas Pooran	Josh Hazlewood	7	48	3	142
Nicholas Pooran	Krunal Pandya	8	61	1	158
Nicholas Pooran	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	9	66	2	170
Abdul Samad	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	5	41	2	164

 

RCB batters vs LSG bowlers

 

Batter (RCB)	Bowler (LSG)	Inns	Runs	Outs	SR
Virat Kohli	Mohammed Shami	16	92	5	126
Virat Kohli	Avesh Khan	7	54	1	138
Virat Kohli	Mohsin Khan	4	29	2	116
Devdutt Padikkal	Mohammed Shami	5	31	2	124
Rajat Patidar	Mohsin Khan	3	22	1	146
Jitesh Sharma	Avesh Khan	6	44	2	158
Tim David	Mohammed Shami	4	36	1	180
Tim David	Avesh Khan	5	41	1	170
Krunal Pandya	Mohsin Khan	5	18	2	100

 

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