BENGALURU – April 16, 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar credited a crucial toss win and a clinical bowling performance for his side’s emphatic five-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The win, achieved with nearly five overs to spare at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, has propelled the defending champions to the summit of the IPL 2026 points table.
The Toss Factor and Pace Battery
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Patidar highlighted how winning the toss allowed his pacers to exploit the conditions early on.
“It was fantastic [the bowling]. I think the good thing was that we won the toss. And the way the fast bowlers hit the deck was nice to watch,” Patidar said.
He specifically praised the “courageous” bowling of Krunal Pandya (who reached 100 IPL wickets during the game) and the disciplined “stump-to-stump” accuracy of Suyash Sharma. Patidar also noted that leading a side with veterans like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood makes a captain’s job significantly easier, as their experience allows the bowling unit to self-regulate.
Dominant Display at the Chinnaswamy
RCB’s bowlers vindicated their captain’s decision to bowl first by dismantling the LSG lineup:
• Rasikh Salam Dar led the charge with a career-best 4/24, tearing through the LSG middle and lower order.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar provided vital breakthroughs with 3/27, while Josh Hazlewood (1/20) was named Player of the Match for his suffocating opening spell.
• LSG was eventually bundled out for 146, the lowest total by any team batting their full 20 overs this season.
Kohli’s Masterclass Seals the Chase
The chase was headlined by Virat Kohli, who walked out as an “Impact Player” to a deafening roar. Kohli’s composed 49 off 34 balls—combined with aggressive cameos from Jitesh Sharma (23 off 9) and Patidar (27 off 13)—ensured RCB reached the target in just 15.1 overs.
With this knock, Kohli reclaimed the Orange Cap, taking his season tally to 228 runs.
