LSG were just not good enough on the day on a slightly sluggish surface, they never got going and were thrashed by RCB by 5 wickets with more than 4 overs to spare in Bengaluru. They lost the toss and never got going after that inside power play or beyond that. They had their moments here and there, but this game was dominated by the defending champions as they went to the top of the points table. There were many areas where LSG were found wanting and we will try and analyse it for you here.
Losing wickets at regular intervals throughout the course of the innings hurt LSG
LSG were put into bat on a slightly sluggish surface in Bengaluru. The RCB bowlers bowled with great line and length and never allowed LSG to take off. The openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram applied themselves and put on 32 for the first wicket before Markram fell. Thereafter, what was a major blow to the side was captain Rishabh Pant copping a blow on the left elbow off Hazlewood. He was in pain and walked off retired hurt. Soon, Pooran came and went cheaply and the LSG team never had momentum post powerplay.
RCB tightened the screws and while there was fight shown by Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni and even Mukul Choudhary down the order, it was never going to be enough. They showed some resistance, but were found wanting on a slow track. One felt they misread the pitch a bit as they might have been lured into thinking this to be 200+ pitch. But it was a slightly sluggish pitch where maybe 180 would have been a good score. But aiming for 200 meant some loose shots and the loss of wickets. In the end, it was a below par score.
LSG are the only team out of the ten teams in competition, yet to register 200+ in IPL 2026. Yes, they are yet to concede 200+ as well with the ball. But this stat is quite damning and raises concern about the batting. The bowling looks decent, but batting has to click to help the bowlers win matches. They are lacking in consistency. They need to find ways to do well and put up a better show next time. All is not lost, they still have 4 points from 5 games. But they cannot afford too much slip ups from here and execute better. Pant’s fitness is a concern. Others need to step up.
Inability to dismiss Virat Kohli early dents LSG’s chances
After posting a below par 146 in 20 overs, LSG needed early wickets especially of the chase master and in this game playing as Impact Player Virat Kohli. While they got rid of Salt early in the second over to boost their confidence, they could not get the better of Virat Kohli. Devdutt Padikkal came and hit a boundary to get off the mark. But the power play post that boundary saw pure dominance from King Kohli.
Kohli showed who the boss is in IPL, and took on the bowling despite being not 100% fit. He was determined to contribute for the side and boy he did that and more. He dominated the power play and took RCB to 60 in the power play to set the match up. He carried on batting beyond that as well. He lost Padikkal, but then captain Rajat Patidar showed his class after getting in and being the aggressor. Kohli is the anchor around which the team revolves. So, to put RCB under some pressure, teams need Kohli out quickly. But that was not the case and he calculates run chases like no other.
LSG tried calling on options, but none succeeded as the likes of Shami, Prince Yadav were taken to the cleaners. It was Avesh Khan who has a favourable match-up against Virat, got him in the end for 49 off 34 balls when he mistimed the ball to long-on. But by that time, the damage was done as Kohli had made quite an impact leaving RCB at 86/3 in 10.1 overs chasing 147. They needed run a ball from here, and the rest of the batters guided the side home. LSG needs to be more incisive in their bowling plans and come up better against these form players or else, they may struggle defending modest totals.
Nicholas Pooran’s modest returns and lapses in the field costs LSG
One of the key areas where LSG is falling behind is the patchy form of Nicholas Pooran. Pooran who was the standout performer last season especially in the first half, is found wanting now against spin and pace. He hasn’t really got going. He was in form before, but after announcing early retirement from international cricket in order to focus on franchise cricket, Pooran has been a pale shadow of himself. He has struggled to time the ball a lot this season.
Yesterday, Pooran came in after Pant walked back injured, at the back-end of power play and had a chance to build the innings properly. But he just struggled in his stay, wasted ball and got out for 1 off 7 balls. Against GT, he scored 19 off 20 balls despite hitting Rashid Khan for two sixes in an over. It’s been a real struggle for him. While Markram and Marsh have found some form, this guy is out of form. Even Pant has looked scratchy and now has fitness issues. Being the vice-captain of the side, Pooran needs to take more responsibility and perform as a batter. He has the talent to achieve it.
RCB were brilliant in the field, but the same cannot be said about LSG. LSG misfielded a lot, as ground fielding left a lot to be desired while catching was decent, towards the end they could not dismiss Tim David when a relay catch at boundary line was not taken. The catch may not have made much difference to the eventual result of the match, but still fielding is important and is under one’s control. So, the hope is that LSG will be able to solve that and get better and hope that Pooran gets his mojo back especially if Pant misses a few games now.
What Lies Ahead
So, RCB are flying high and will next face DC on Saturday in Bengaluru in an afternoon game. LSG will be back in action on Sunday in an evening game at Mullanpur against Punjab Kings. Later tonight, it is MI vs PBKS from Mumbai in a critical game for MI as they need a win to climb upwards in the table. PBKS, the only unbeaten side remaining in the competition, will aim for a win to go top of the table. A fascinating clash awaits us all.
Let’s see how things unfold later tonight in Mumbai.
Also Read: RCB vs LSG: Rasikh Salam & Virat Kohli’s Brilliance’s Flatters LSG