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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are all set to lock horns with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2026 match on Thursday at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow.
Ahead of the match, former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes the Royal Challengers can defend their title. He stated that, given the way RCB bowlers have been performing, the team has a strong chance of clinching the title again.
“I feel RCB can defend their title. The way they are playing, and how their bowling unit is operating, with captain Rajat Patidar leading from the front, has been impressive. It is not just about scoring big 240-250 totals; everyone in the batting unit understands their roles,” he said on JioStar.
Earlier, in the previous edition, RCB scripted history by clinching their first title under the leadership of Rajat Patidar. The team ended its 18-year-long wait to win its first-ever title.
It will be interesting to see if the Rajat Patidar-led men manage to win the title this year.
In the ongoing edition, the Royal Challengers are placed in the second position with six wins and three defeats. With a net run rate (NRR) of +1.420, the team also has 12 points.
On the other hand, the Super Giants are in the 10th position with two wins and seven losses. They have a net run rate (NRR) of -1.076 and four points.
IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants: Full Squads
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi.
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