Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Prediction & Preview – IPL 2026 50th

Lucknow Super Giants have won only two of nine and are still near the bottom of the table. They scored 228 last time but lost by six wickets to Mumbai Indians after a poor bowling display, in which the first wicket came in the 11th over. They have also won just one of their last four against RCB.

Mitchell Marsh has 256 runs and will open with Josh Inglis, while Nicholas Pooran hit 63 at a strike rate of 300 to show some form. Akshat Raghuwanshi and Himmat Singh need to finish better. Prince Yadav has 13 wickets at 8.06 an over, but Mohammed Shami’s form worries them, and Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth and Avesh Khan need to be tighter.

Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru have enjoyed a strong season, with only a four-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans in the last match to blemish it. Virat Kohli has over 350 runs at an average above 54, Devdutt Padikkal 282 at a strike rate of 188, and Tim David and Romario Shepherd add power. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 17 wickets, supported by Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya.

Pitch report

The Ekana Stadium surface is slow and helpful to spin, with low to medium bounce that gets slower as the game progresses. Spinners matter most in the middle overs, and seamers do best with cutters. Batters must spend time in the middle before hitting out, and scores of 140–160 are usually competitive. Sides often bat first, though dew can help chasing teams in night games.

Weather

At 7:30 pm in Lucknow it should be warm and comfortable at 26–29°C, with slightly hazy but mostly clear skies and moderate humidity. Rain is very unlikely, and some dew may help batting in the second innings.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 170–190
• 2nd innings: 165–185

About Indian Premier League