RCB vs LSG, Match 23 Preview: Virat Kohli’s injury scare, Shami’s top form; check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Lucknow Super Giants at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Match 23 of IPL 2026 will take place on Wednesday, 15 April, at 7:30 PM IST.

This is a fixture with a remarkable amount of recent history: Kohli-Gambhir confrontations, last-ball escapes, Mayank Yadav thunderbolts, and one of the most dramatic chases of IPL 2024 when Jitesh Sharma upstaged Rishabh Pant.

On Wednesday, it is the statistical contrast between these two sides that makes this preview write itself. The best batting team in the league hosts the best bowling team in the league.

Dew was not a factor in the first two Chinnaswamy games this season. But, it could play a role on Wednesday. The match will be broadcast LIVE on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.

Head-to-Head Record

RCB lead the head-to-head 4-2 across 6 IPL meetings. RCB's highest score in this fixture is 230; LSG's is 227. The lowest scores of the encounter are 126 (RCB) and 108 (LSG), both of which happened at Ekana.

RCB's lowest score at Chinnaswamy vs LSG was 153. LSG's lowest score at Chinnaswamy vs RCB was 181/5.

The season-by-season record: In 2022, RCB won both meetings (by 18 runs and 14 runs). In 2023, RCB won by 18 runs but LSG won the other encounter by 1 wicket in that notorious last-ball finish at the Chinnaswamy. It was the match where Harshal Patel missed running out the non-striker from the final ball.

In 2024, LSG won by 28 runs. In 2025, RCB won by 6 wickets. RCB have won the last meeting and hold a clear overall advantage. But, LSG have shown they can win here. The 2023 thriller remains one of the tensest finishes this fixture has produced.

Team News Predicted XI

Virat Kohli did not field against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on Sunday due to a mild ankle strain. He was back in the nets and completed running tests at RCB's training session ahead of Wednesday's game. He is expected to play.

Fast bowler Rasikh Dar has recovered from cramps and is set to return. Josh Hazlewood, however, was not seen at training.

RCB's likely XI: Virat Kohli and Phil Salt open, Devdutt Padikkal at No. 3, Rajat Patidar at No. 4, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma, and Rasikh Dar as the reserve option.

The key LSG selection call involves the pace attack. Mohsin Khan has played just one match this season and is touch-and-go. He is set to undergo a routine fitness assessment.

Mayank Yadav has built up his bowling workload and is ready to play. If he is selected, he could replace Avesh Khan, who has an economy of 10.4 in 4 matches this season. George Linde or Shahbaz Ahmed provides the spin-batting depth option in the XI.

LSG's likely XI: Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram open, Rishabh Pant at No. 3, Ayush Badoni at No. 4, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan or Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, and Shahbaz Ahmed or M Siddharth.

Key Players to Watch

Rajat Patidar is in a monstrous form this season. He has scored 195 runs in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 214.28. That makes him the joint-highest six-hitter in the tournament alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, both on 18 sixes.

He strikes at more than 200 against both spin and pace this season. It is virtually impossible to plan for him. At one point against MI, he was on 44 off just 11 balls.

His form has already sparked whispers of higher honours for the national side. If he bats anything like his IPL 2026 best on Wednesday, LSG's bowling plans, however good, will be severely tested.

Mohammed Shami is LSG's counter. He has been exceptional with the new ball this season. Though his wicket count in the powerplay is three, his economy in that phase is just 6.1. He bowled the most controlled new-ball spell in an IPL where powerplay run rates have gone through the roof.

LSG's global director, Tom Moody, has openly praised where Shami is at. His battle against Kohli and Salt in the first 6 overs sets the tone for everything that follows.

Virat Kohli arrives at his home ground needing just two sixes to reach 300 in the IPL. he currently has 298. He sits third 3rd on the all-time IPL 6 hit-list behind Chris Gayle (357) and Rohit Sharma (310). The Chinnaswamy crowd will be waiting for that moment all evening.

The Mayank Yadav question is the game's central intrigue. If LSG select him, he brings the one thing RCB's batting has not yet faced consistently this season: raw pace above 150 kmph.

In 2024, he rattled Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell at this ground with deliveries of genuine intimidation. RCB's top order is in outstanding touch. But, Mayank at his best at the Chinnaswamy is a different problem entirely.

Pitch Report

Surface + grass: M Chinnaswamy Stadium has hosted 102 IPL matches. With the last T20 played here on 5 April, RCB's comprehensive home win in the opening phase. The average score batting first is 167.39, at 8.87 runs per over.

Chasing teams have won 54 of 102 matches (52.94%), giving them a modest but consistent advantage. Winning the toss has also corresponded with 52.94% of wins. So neither the toss nor the choice of innings is decisive. But, bowling first is the slightly preferred option.

New ball (3–4 overs): The Chinnaswamy is not a traditional swinging ground. The short square boundaries (the shortest in the IPL) make the pull shot, ramp and cut extremely rewarding.

New-ball bowlers must hit the right lengths immediately or face severe punishment. Shami, Prince Yadav and potentially Mayank must be precise from ball one.

Middle overs: The surface this match will be played on is the same one on which CSK fell 43 runs short of RCB's 250 earlier this season. It is a true batting surface that does not grip spinners significantly.

That’s partly why RCB have scored 200-plus in all four of their innings this season. The pitch does not deteriorate meaningfully, and batters who get in can stay in and accelerate.

Dew + toss call: Anti-dew spray has been applied by ground staff. But, there was dew on the eve of the match. If dew arrives during the second innings, it will further assist the batting side, making run chases easier and spin harder to grip.

The chasing win rate of 52.94% here includes the dew effect in night games. Both Rajat Patidar and Rishabh Pant will likely bowl first after winning the toss.

Par score range: The average first-innings score of 167.39 dramatically underestimates what is possible at Chinnaswamy in IPL 2026. The highest team total at this ground is 287/3, posted by SRH against RCB in 2024.

RCB themselves posted 250 in their most recent home game. With RCB's top 6 running at the highest run rate in the tournament this season (11.1 runs per over), anything from 200 to 240 is within the realistic range when they bat first.

LSG's bowling, with an economy of just 8.5, is the one unit that has consistently held totals down this season. But, the Chinnaswamy is the ultimate test of that.

Where to Watch

The match is LIVE on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi from 7:30 PM IST. The live-streaming is on JioHotstar. UK viewers can watch iit on Sky Sports Cricket. Viewers in Australia can watch it on Fox Cricket or Kayo Sports. Viewers in USA and Canada can watch it on Willow TV.

It’s IPL 2026’s best batting team vs the IPL's best bowling team. Kohli is 2 sixes from 300 in the IPL. Patidar is potentially unstoppable. Shami is at the top of his powers. And, it’s a pitch that has already seen 250 this season. Match 23 is an event, not just a game.