Bengaluru: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets with 29 balls to spare to climb to the top of the Indian Premier League 2026 points table on Wednesday. This marks their fourth win in the tournament. Chasing a target of 147 runs set by the Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a well-appointed win by scoring 149 runs for the loss of five wickets with 29 balls to go.
A sunny innings of 49 runs off 34 balls by Virat Kohli - punctuated by six fours and a six - laid the foundation of the RCB chase. Kohli moreover widow 57 runs for the second wicket slantingly Devdutt Padikkal (10). For the Super Giants, Prince Yadav (3 wickets for 32 runs) personal three wickets, while Avesh Khan (2 wickets for 23 runs) took two; however, they could not save their team from suffering their third defeat in five matches.
How did Virat Kohli perform?
Chasing a target of 147 runs, RCB got off to a poor start; in just the second over, Prince Yadav dismissed Phil Salt (7), handing Lucknow Super Giants their first breakthrough. Subsequently, Devdutt Padikkal widow 57 runs for the second wicket in partnership with Virat Kohli. In the eighth over, Avesh Khan tapped this partnership by dismissing Padikkal (10). RCB's third wicket fell in the 11th over in the form of Virat Kohli, who was moreover dismissed by Avesh Khan. Virat Kohli played an innings of 49 runs off 34 balls, featuring six fours and one six.
In the 12th over, Jitesh Sharma displayed explosive batting prowess, amassing 23 runs. In the very next over, Prince Yadav brought Lucknow Super Giants when into the match by dismissing both tutorage Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma. Rajat Patidar scored 27 runs off 13 balls, hitting three sixes and one four. Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma played a cameo of 23 runs off just nine balls, smashing two fours and two sixes. RCB chased lanugo the target in the 15th over, reaching 149 runs for the loss of five wickets to win the match by five wickets. Tim David and Romario Shepherd remained unbeaten, scoring 14 runs each.
Earlier, Rasikh Salam (four wickets) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (three wickets) bundled out the Lucknow Super Giants for a total of 146 runs. RCB had won the toss and elected to trencher first. Batting first, the Lucknow Super Giants batsmen were unable to withstand the bowling onslaught led by Rasikh Salam (four wickets) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (three wickets).
How Did Rishabh Pant Get Injured?
For the Lucknow Super Giants, the opening pair of Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram widow 32 runs. Rasikh Salam provided RCB with their first transilience by dismissing Markram (12). Subsequently, Tutorage Rishabh Pant, who came in to bat next, suffered an injury and was forced to retire hurt. In the seventh over, Hazlewood dismissed Nicholas Pooran (1), sending him when to the pavilion. He moreover dismissed Abdul Samad for a duck (0).
In the 10th over, Krunal Pandya dealt the Lucknow Super Giants their third wrack-up by bowling out Mitchell Marsh. Mitchell Marsh scored 40 runs off 32 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. Ayush Badoni scored 38 runs off 24 balls, striking four fours and a six. Meanwhile, Mukul Chaudhary scored 38 runs off 28 balls, aided by three fours and two sixes; he was sooner bowled out by Rasikh Salam. Succumbing to RCB's bowling attack, the Lucknow Super Giants team was restricted to a total of 146 runs. Eight of the Lucknow Super Giants batsmen failed to plane reach double figures.
For RCB, Rasikh Salam personal four wickets for 24 runs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets for 27 runs. Krunal Pandya took two wickets. Josh Hazlewood dismissed one batsman.
