Back from a break, RCB aim to firm up their spot near the top

A week is a long time in the IPL, especially in the back half of the league stage. Royal Challengers Bengaluru return from a break to find that much has changed, and yet some things haven't. At the time of writing, they remain second on the table – exactly where they were after the defeat in Ahmedabad – but the comfort around that position has thinned. Look closer and the air feels tighter: the early breakaway has stalled, the pack has closed in, and what once looked like a clear divide behind the 'top-four' now resembles a six-horse scramble to the playoffs.

In a table like this, an off-day can drag a side from second to sixth in a blink. The holders, for now, have little reason to panic. Their structure holds, their strengths remain. But there are patterns to address: all three defeats have come batting first, each tracing a similar imbalance. Their fast-scoring tempo hasn't always aligned with what follows, and with Jitesh Sharma – the vice-captain and a key bridge in their middle – not quite among the runs, those transitions and entry points have been affected. It is not a flaw yet, but it is a thread beginning to show.

Lucknow Super Giants, their hosts, sit at the other end of the spectrum. Bottom of the table, short on continuity, and desperately seeking a slice of luck, something Rishabh Pant admitted with wry candour after the loss in Mumbai. Results haven't followed them, nor has expectation as they return home. That can be a freeing space, as Nicholas Pooran's uninhibited return to form at the Wankhede showed.

Which is what makes them awkward opponents at this stage. Teams with little to lose don't play to scripts. LSG may not sit in the playoff conversation, but they can still meddle with it, especially against sides like RCB who have far more riding.

When: LSG vs RCB, IPL 2026, May 7 at 19:30 IST

Where: BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

What to expect: A relatively low-scoring contest. The highest total here this season has been 165. Even in this second half of the league stage, with the summer sun continuing to dry out the surfaces, teams are likely to prefer chasing.

Head to head: LSG 2 – 5 RCB. RCB have also won both the fixtures at the Ekana Stadium, with Jitesh Sharma playing arguably the innings of the tournament last year in RCB's chase of 227

Injuries/Availability: No new injuries or availability issues reported

Lucknow Super Giants

LSG arrive with the best economy rate this season, and their attack carries a specific edge against RCB up front. Mohammed Shami and Avesh Khan, in particular, have enjoyed their battles with Virat Kohli, dismissing the RCB talisman five and four times respectively. The pair also boast good records against Devdutt Padikkal. LSG's clearest route is to land those early blows and disrupt RCB's carefully set entry points.

Probable XII: Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c&wk), Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Price Yadav, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injuries/Availability: Phil Salt is unlikely to return just yet as he recovers from a finger injury.

LSG's move to push Aiden Markram into the middle order might face its sternest test in this clash as it will funnel him straight into a tricky match-up against Krunal Pandya, who has dismissed the South African three times in just eight deliveries.

Probable XII: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar

Key Stats

• Nicholas Pooran averages 50.18 and strikes at 209.09 when batting at No. 3 for LSG
• Virat Kohli has a first-10 balls strike rate of 174.44 this season

What They Said

"The messaging to Jitesh is that he's very aware of what he can do to help the team in any situation he goes in. That's all he's been focusing on and that's what we've been trying to provide for him in training sessions, understanding the situations he's likely to go in and how he can impact the game for us." – Malolan Rangarajan, RCB Assistant Coach