RCB bowl first against struggling LSG; Inglis, Mohsin Khan ruled out
Synopsis
RCB's bowling-first call against a reeling LSG sets up a mismatch in the IPL 2026 race. With LSG stripped of Inglis, Mohsin Khan, and Avesh Khan, and sitting at the bottom after six straight losses, Pant's side faces a must-win fight for survival. RCB, entrenched in second spot, are the clear favourites to extend their playoff cushion.
Key Takeaways
RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Ekana Stadium on 7 May 2026 .
LSG ruled out Josh Inglis , Mohsin Khan , and Avesh Khan due to injuries.
LSG occupy the bottom spot with 2 wins from 9 matches and 4 points ; RCB are second with 6 wins from 9 .
LSG have lost six consecutive matches; RCB won their last head-to-head on 15 April by five wickets.
RCB named an unchanged XI; LSG made multiple changes in batting order.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the toss and opted to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL 2026 encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday, 7 May. The decision came as LSG, reeling from six consecutive defeats, took to the field without Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan, and Avesh Khan due to injuries.
LSG's mounting crisis
Rishabh Pant's side has won just two of nine matches, leaving them anchored at the bottom of the standings with four points. Their latest loss came against Mumbai Indians by six wickets, extending a winless run that has all but extinguished their playoff hopes. The absence of key performers Inglis and Mohsin Khan further depletes their resources as they desperately seek a turnaround.
RCB's quest to consolidate
RCB, captained by Rajat Patidar, occupy the second spot with six wins from nine matches despite their most recent setback against Gujarat Titans by four wickets. A victory over the struggling hosts would cement their playoff positioning and extend their advantage in the race for the top four. The visitors remain unchanged from their previous fixture, signalling confidence in their squad composition.
Head-to-head advantage
Historically, RCB have dominated this rivalry, securing five victories from seven meetings against LSG. Their most recent clash on 15 April at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium saw Patidar's side register a convincing five-wicket win, underscoring their current superiority over the franchise.
What the captains said
Patidar stated after winning the toss: "We will bowl first. It's not as loud as Chinnaswamy, but it's still loud. The surface looks good, and we'll look to restrict them to a low score. The break was good; everyone is doing well, and we had some hard practice. We are playing with the same team."
Pant acknowledged the personnel changes: "A few changes in our team. Some injuries — Inglis and Mohsin Khan miss out. The only thing is to move with clarity. We know we're a top team, but the main thing is clarity. We have a few changes in the batting order. Having a stable environment is needed, but we need to make changes at times. Looks like a 180-190 wicket, a better wicket than most of the other games."
Playing elevens
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma. Impact substitutes: Rasikh Dar, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer.
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav. Impact substitutes: Mayank Yadav, Mukul Chowdhary, Abdul Samad, M Siddharth, Avesh Khan.
Point of View
A bottom-table perch, and now the loss of Inglis and Mohsin Khan — the franchise's injury list reads like a casualty ward. Pant's assertion that LSG are "a top team" rings hollow when the wins tally is stuck at two. RCB, by contrast, are executing a measured consolidation, unchanged and confident. The gap between second and last has rarely looked wider.
NationPress
10 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did RCB choose to bowl first?
RCB captain Rajat Patidar cited the pitch conditions and their bowling strength as reasons for the decision. He said the surface looked good and they aimed to restrict LSG to a low score.
Which LSG players are missing due to injuries?
Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan, and Avesh Khan are ruled out due to injuries. Inglis and Mohsin Khan were unavailable for the playing XI, while Avesh Khan was named as an impact substitute.
What is LSG's current position in the IPL 2026 standings?
LSG sit at the bottom of the points table with 2 wins from 9 matches and 4 points. They have lost six consecutive games and are facing near-elimination from playoff contention.
How does RCB's form compare to LSG heading into this match?
RCB occupy second spot with 6 wins from 9 matches, while LSG are anchored at the bottom with 2 wins. RCB also won the last head-to-head encounter by 5 wickets on 15 April.
