IPL 2026: Virat, Rasikh help RCB smash LSG on home turf, claim top spot in standings
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026: Virat, Rasikh help RCB smash LSG on home turf, claim top spot in standings")
IPL 2026: Virat, Rasikh help RCB smash LSG on home turf, claim top spot in standings Photograph: (IPL)
Playing at the at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB had Virat Kohli (49) and Rasikh Salam Dar (24/4) to thank as the duo helped RCB win by five wickets. The win also saw RCB claim top spot in the standings with their fourth win in five IPL 2026 matches.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) went top of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) standings after they smashed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Wednesday (April 15). Playing at the at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, RCB had Virat Kohli (49) and Rasikh Salam Dar (24/4) to thank as the duo helped RCB win by five wickets. The win also saw RCB claim top spot in the standings with their fourth win in five IPL 2026 matches.
RCB smash LSG at home
The 37-year-old Kohli was only able to play as a batter due to an injury suffered in Bengaluru's previous win over the Mumbai Indians. After sitting out of the first innings, he got his team off to a strong start in a modest chase of 147 after opening partner Phil Salt departed for seven in the second over. Bengaluru raced to their fourth win in five matches with 29 balls to spare, moving level on points with Rajasthan Royals but top of the 10-team table on net run-rate.
Kohli, who made 50 in the previous match, hit six fours off new-ball bowlers Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav before he crunched his only six off spinner Digvesh Rathi. Kohli looked in control but missed out on his fifty, caught in the deep off Avesh Khan. Kohli is the leading run-scorer this season with 228, including two half-centuries in five matches, but he is hungry for more.
Bengaluru lost two more wickets, including skipper Rajat Patidar for 27, before Tim David and Romario Shepherd -- who both scored 14 not out -- steered the team home.
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What happened in LSG innings?
Earlier, Rasikh Salam returned figures of 24/4 to help bowl out Lucknow for 146 in exactly 20 overs. Salam, who dismissed Lucknow opener Aiden Markram for 12, was ably supported by senior pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (27/3) and Josh Hazlewood (20/1). Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant was hit on the elbow by a short delivery from Hazlewood and retired hurt, grimacing in pain, after just three balls.
Pant later returned but quickly fell to a stunning outfield catch by Salt off Kumar. He made one. Mitchell Marsh top-scored with 40, but the Lucknow batters largely struggled in a below-par performance to go down for their third defeat in five matches.
