Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the toss and have opted to field
Captains back conditions as RCB opt to bowl first
Rajat Patidar chose to bowl first, calling it a good surface with less grass than the previous game. He said the plan is to use early conditions and build pressure. He also noted that contributions have come from different players, which has helped the team’s strong start. Josh Hazlewood comes in for Duffy.
Rishabh Pant said Lucknow Super Giants are confident despite batting first. He felt the pitch is good for runs and that the toss will not decide the outcome. Pant stressed that execution matters more, with the focus on playing better cricket across phases.
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing XI: Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Player Substitutions:
Lucknow Super Giants: Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, George Linde
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan
Pitch report –The surface at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium looks slightly drier with less grass, which may reduce bounce early on. There could be some movement with the new ball, but batting should get easier later. A score around 220 remains competitive, with chasing still the preferred option.
RCB’s momentum faces test as LSG look for balance
Lucknow Super Giants have been inconsistent, with key overseas players like Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran yet to deliver. Their bowling, led by Mohammed Shami, has held up, with possible returns of Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan boosting depth.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, meanwhile, have looked settled, winning three of four. Captain Rajat Patidar has led from the front, though concerns remain around death bowling despite a strong start overall.