Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first in the 50th match of IPL 2026 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Rain interruptions reduced the contest to 19 overs per side, making the game more challenging for both teams.
Lucknow Super Giants produced an excellent batting display after being asked to bat first. Mitchell Marsh played a stunning knock of 111 runs from just 56 balls. His aggressive innings helped Lucknow post a strong total of 209 runs.
According to the DLS method, RCB received a revised target of 213 runs in the chase. Bengaluru suffered an early collapse as the batting order struggled from the beginning. Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav dismissed Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell inside the powerplay.
Following the early wickets, Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar tried to rebuild the innings. Patidar looked attacking during his stay at the crease, but Lucknow’s bowlers consistently targeted him with short deliveries. The tactic created discomfort for the RCB captain against the pace attack.
RCB’s innings suffered another major setback during the middle overs. Devdutt Padikkal lost his wicket, and Jitesh Sharma was dismissed for just one run in the same over by Prince Yadav. Bengaluru continued losing momentum at a crucial stage of the chase.
Lucknow’s short-ball strategy became the biggest problem for the RCB batters. Rajat Patidar also returned to the pavilion soon after, putting the team under massive pressure. The Bengaluru batting line-up struggled to counter the disciplined bowling attack.
Tim David later brought RCB back into the match with an aggressive innings. He smashed 40 runs from just 17 balls and shifted momentum for a brief period. His powerful hitting gave Bengaluru hope during the difficult chase.
Romario Shepherd could not convert his start into a match-winning knock despite scoring 23 runs. He missed several loose deliveries and full tosses that could have been turned into boundaries. Those missed chances eventually increased pressure in the final overs.
Krunal Pandya added an important 28 runs and kept Bengaluru alive till the end. However, Lucknow’s bowlers continued using short balls smartly throughout the innings. Despite efforts from Tim David, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal and Krunal Pandya, RCB eventually lost by 9 runs as Lucknow secured their third win of IPL 2026.
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