Fresh off a 7-day break, RCB were back in action and went down to bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. RCB has now lost two back-to-back games and missed out on the opportunity to top the table last night. LSG were on an 8-match losing streak at home and 6 in a row this season. They managed to snap that streak and keep their very slim hopes alive for a playoff spot. Credit and congratulations to LSG for the win. There were areas where RCB lagged, and we will analyse them for you here.
Inability to dismiss Mitchell Marsh early dented RCB’s chances
RCB put LSG into bat first on a good surface and a rain-affected game, hoping to take advantage of chasing. The Men in Red and Gold would have hoped for early wickets to put pressure on the home team. But that did not happen at all. While it was a struggle for Arshin Kulkarni at one end, it was the Mitchell Marsh show from the other end. RCB had absolutely no answers to the onslaught led by Marsh. Marsh was brilliant from the word go.
Mitchell Marsh attacked RCB’s best bowler, Josh Hazlewood and took him down from the first ball. No bowler of RCB was spared except for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya. The rest went the distance. Kulkarni struggled, but thanks to Marsh, that was covered up. There were multiple rain interruptions, but that did not affect Marsh’s flow of scoring. LSG were 68/0 in 6 overs and 95 in 9 overs before Kulkarni’s misery ended. But the likes of Pooran and Pant later on made sure that Marsh’s efforts did not go to waste.
RCB needs to improve their bowling since conceding 200+ in 19 overs in Lucknow is not acceptable and is concerning, to say the least. Multiple bowlers having an off-day does not help. Bhuvneshwar and Krunal bowled well, but the others went for plenty like Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma and an over of Romario Shepherd that goes for plenty of runs. RCB will want to stop this losing streak when they enter Raipur for their next game.
Jacob Bethell & Virat Kohli getting out in the first 8 balls pushed RCB back in the chase
Chasing a revised target of 213 for the win in 19 overs, RCB would have hoped for a solid start from their openers, Jacob Bethell and the reliable Virat Kohli. But the Challengers were off to a shaky start. Jacob Bethell, after hitting a boundary, fell for 4 off 5 balls to Mohammed Shami. But the body blow came in the next over when Prince Yadav, in his second ball of the spell, knocked over Virat Kohli for a silver duck. It was a great delivery, and Kohli played down the wrong line.
The wicket of Kohli pushed RCB firmly on the back foot, but Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal revived the chase. But they were always playing catch-up, and when a big partnership happened, they fell at the wrong time. The ability to finish games is lacking in these players. The truth is that Virat failed in the chase, and RCB failed as well. Even tonight, there is a dependency on Kohli in run-chases to take the side home. This is something that needs addressing, as RCB needs to win a few games without his significant contribution to feel more confident.
RCB will be hoping they right the wrongs of this match and come back stronger in the coming matches. They are still decently placed despite the loss they suffered back-to-back. But it’s about pulling up your socks now before it gets too late. Momentum, whether winning or losing, is a big thing in cricket, and RCB knows that. They have lost 2 in a row, high time they snap the streak in the next game. They are still a quality outfit.
Continuous underperformance of Jitesh Sharma is affecting RCB’s finishing ability
Another big talking point that has come to the notice is the underperformance of Jitesh Sharma this season in IPL 2026. Jitesh is an integral part of the team and last season had significant contributions for the Bold Army. But this season, he has looked like a pale shadow of himself and has not created the impact RCB wants him to create. On a night when the others chipped in barring the openers, the onus was on Jitesh to seize the opportunity and try to finish games. He is a floater in the team and is used according to the situation.
Last night, he was sent in at 5 to take the innings forward, after the duo of Padikkal and Patidar brought the Challengers back on track. But once Padikkal fell, Jitesh came, saw and fell before we even realised it for 1 off 3 balls to Prince Yadav to end his miserable stay at the crease. Another opportunity missed for the keeper batter to fire with the bat in hand. As a keeper, he is doing fine, but runs are lacking with the bat in hand.
Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd tried till the end after Tim David’s assault, but it was not to be as RCB fell short by 9 runs under the DLS method. If Jitesh had performed, then RCB might have won this game, but that was not the case. RCB has Jordan Cox as a keeper-batter option, but Jitesh, being an Indian, is preferred. The hope will be for Jitesh to find his touch ahead of their next fixture.
What Lies Ahead
RCB will now head to their new adopted home in Raipur, where they will host arch-rivals and 5-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, 10th May in the evening. LSG, buoyed by this win, will next head down south to Chennai, where they will face CSKÂ on Sunday, 10th May, in the afternoon. Crucial clashes coming our way, including tonight’s clash between 7th vs 8th as DC hosts KKR in New Delhi. It’s a must-win game for both teams for sure. Let’s see who comes out on top in this clash.
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