IPL 2025: RCB Aim To Overcome Outgoing LSG's Challenge For Crucial Top-Two Finish

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Last Updated:May 26, 2025, 15:38 IST

RCB aims for a top-two decorativeness against Lucknow Super Giants successful their last league match. With 17 points, RCB indispensable triumph to unafraid their spot.

Virat Kohli (L) and Rishabh Pant volition beryllium successful absorption successful the important LSG vs RCB match. (PC: Sportzpics, AP)

As they purpose for a top-two finish, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) volition attack their last league lucifer against the inconsistent Lucknow Super Giants with caution connected Tuesday. The hosts are anxious to extremity their mostly disappointing run connected a precocious note.

The caller defeats of the Gujarat Titans person provided a aureate accidental for the third-placed RCB to unafraid a top-two decorativeness for the archetypal clip since.

The apical 2 teams vie successful Qualifier 1, with the victor advancing to the last and the loser moving connected to Qualifier 2 to look the victor of the eliminator, which is contested by the 3rd and fourth-place finishers.

RCB, who person 17 points, person small country for error. A triumph is indispensable arsenic either Mumbai Indians (16 points) oregon Punjab Kings (17 points) are poised to overtake Gujarat Titans (18 points) aft their lucifer aboriginal today.

Before the league’s 10-day interruption owed to the India-Pakistan subject conflict, RCB were successful fantabulous form, winning 4 consecutive matches. However, the interruption seems to person disrupted their momentum.

Since the restart, RCB experienced a rain-out and past suffered a 42-run decision to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Their past triumph was connected May 3, and their rustiness was evident against SRH.

“We were rusty. The strength wasn’t determination initially… In the decease (overs), we were bowling much accurately," stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma acknowledged aft that loss.

The instrumentality of Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has boosted morale successful the RCB camp. Hazlewood has been the standout performer for the squad this season, with 18 wickets successful 10 matches, presently ranking 4th among the tournament’s starring wicket-takers.

RCB volition besides payment from their familiarity with the conditions, having played their past lucifer astatine the Ekana Stadium.

However, defeating Lucknow Super Giants volition beryllium challenging. The hosts are assured aft their ascendant show against the Gujarat Titans successful their erstwhile match.

The overseas trio of Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran, who person been the franchise’s biggest plus this season, dismantled GT’s bowling to people 235/2.

The bowling portion besides impressed, showing what their run could person been without aggregate injuries.

The summation of Will O’Rourke, replacing the injured Mayank Yadav, has been a affirmative move. Spinner Digvesh Rathi, 1 of LSG’s finds of the season, volition instrumentality for the clash aft serving his one-match suspension for animated send-offs.

Nevertheless, inconsistency has marred their season, a information skipper Rishabh Pant acknowledged.

“We speech astir playing bully cricket, and we’ve shown connected juncture that we tin bash that. There were times successful the tourney wherever we had our chances but didn’t instrumentality them — it’s portion and parcel of the game," Pant said past week.

Teams (from):

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Mayank Agarwal, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh.

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (wk/captain), Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Shamar Joseph, Manimaran Siddharth, Aryan Juyal, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Maharaj Singh, Arshin Kulkarni.

Match starts astatine 7:30 p.m. IST.

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News cricket IPL 2025: RCB Aim To Overcome Outgoing LSG's Challenge For Crucial Top-Two Finish