नवीनतम
RCB eye another batting firework against struggling LSG
BENGALURU [Maha Media]: At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where boundaries are short and bowlers often look like men who have misplaced their umbrellas just when the monsoon arrives, another IPL evening quietly gathers its usual sense of theatre. This time with the Lucknow Super Giants arriving as challengers to a well-set home force in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. It is here that RCB have been doing something that feels less like cricket and more like a well-oiled factory, and faintly intimidating for anyone standing in their way.
To call it simply good batting form would be a mistake. That would be like calling a stampede a brisk walk. At this ground, RCB have turned run-making into something almost routine, yet overwhelming. The 200-run mark is no longer a milestone; it is merely a polite suggestion.
The batting begins in controlled fashion, almost like a government office opening on time, and then slowly transforms into something far more aggressive and impossible for bowlers to contain.
The RCB batting unit this season has been led by Virat Kohli, who has scored 179 runs in four matches with his usual authority at the top. Alongside him, Phil Salt has provided explosive starts, including a blazing 78 off 36 balls in the previous match, setting the tone early.
Devdutt Padikkal has also been in superb touch, scoring 125 runs in three games with two fluent fifties at a strike rate above 200, making him one of the most dangerous batters in the powerplay and early middle overs.
In the middle order, captain Rajat Patidar has been the standout force, scoring around 195 runs at a staggering strike rate of over 210. His ability to dominate the middle overs has turned games decisively in RCB's favour. Behind him, Tim David has added brutal finishing power, striking at over 220 with 12 sixes already this season, while Romario Shepherd has provided late-innings acceleration with a strike rate close to 175 since 2025.
Even wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma has contributed useful cameos, ensuring the momentum rarely drops.
This is why the narrative almost writes itself: RCB's batting machine at home.
With the ball, Jacob Duffy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been effective in providing early breakthroughs, sharing important wickets in the powerplay. In the middle overs, Krunal Pandya has offered control with both ball and experience, while Suyash Sharma has chipped in with crucial wickets, even if at an expensive economy at times. Together, they have ensured RCB remain competitive even when defending huge totals.
Into this strong and almost mechanical certainty steps the Lucknow Super Giants, a side that this season has often looked like a talented group still searching for a consistent rhythm. At times, everything clicks — the batting flows, the bowling holds shape, and the fielding looks sharp. But just as often, things drift apart, as if the team is still trying to settle into its identity.
Their batting lineup carries big names but inconsistent returns. Aiden Markram has been their most reliable performer with 108 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 152, offering stability at the top.
Nicholas Pooran, however, has struggled badly this season with just 41 runs in four matches at a low strike rate of around 85, a sharp dip from his usual destructive self. Rishabh Pant has shown only brief sparks, including an unbeaten 68 against SRH, but otherwise has failed to convert starts.
Mitchell Marsh has also struggled, with multiple low scores in succession, unable to find rhythm at the top. Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad have also failed to make consistent impact, leaving the middle order exposed more often than not.
Teams
Royal Chalengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Tim David, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Vihaan Malhotra, Romario Shepherd, Mangesh Yadav, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal, Philip Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Jordan Cox, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Duffy, Vicky Ostwal
Lucknow Super Giants: Himmat Singh, Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, George Linde, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arjun Tendulkar, Rishabh Pant, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Mukul Choudhary, Josh Inglis, Akash Maharaj Singh, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Manimaran Siddharth, Mayank Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari.
