As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) make their way to Lucknow for their final away game of IPL 2025, they will be keen on ticking off two things: one, a record seventh away win of the season, and two, securing a playoffs spot (along with the top position for now).
It has been a clinical tournament so far for RCB. They have been excellent on the road, and after two straight wins at the Chinnaswamy, they have improved their home record as well. They are now one step away from becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs. But that’s not all—no team has ever won all their away league games in a season, and RCB is one step away from achieving that as well.
They have a glorious chance to make it seven out of seven in away games against a beleaguered Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) side, who are coming into this game on the back of three successive defeats and four losses in the last five games. With five wins in 11 games and a net run rate of -0.469, LSG’s chances of making it to the top four are slim, and a defeat at home will knock them out of the tournament completely.
LSG’s Struggles: Poor Form from Key Players
After four wins in the first six games, not much has gone right for LSG. Their top three batters, who formed the bedrock of the line-up, have struggled. Mitchell Marsh had 265 runs in the first five matches at a strike rate of 180, but in his next five games, he has scored 113 at a strike of 118. Nicholas Pooran‘s scores have also declined, and while Aiden Markram has two fifties in his last five innings, he has been inconsistent.
With Rishabh Pant also in wretched form, LSG needs to find a batting fix quickly against an RCB attack, which has been in decent form.
RCB have fewer problems to deal with, although injuries to key players have been an issue. Josh Hazlewood (shoulder niggle) and Phil Salt (viral infection) missed RCB’s previous game against Chennai Super Kings. Since then, a hamstring injury has ended Devdutt Padikkal‘s season, with Mayank Agarwal replacing him.
Form guide:
- Lucknow Super Giants: LLLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: WWWWL
The Big Question: The No. 3 Conundrum for RCB
Padikkal had been crucial to RCB’s success this year. Losing him means not only a batter in form but also a left-hander. Should they replace him with Mayank Agarwal or go with a left-hand batter at No. 3? Left-hand options include Manoj Bhandage or promoting Krunal Pandya or Jacob Bethell.
Who should bat at No. 3 for RCB in Padikkal’s absence?
- Mayank Agarwal
- Krunal Pandya
- Manoj Bhandage
- Jacob Bethell
In the Spotlight: Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya
After his exploits in the first half of the season, Nicholas Pooran‘s returns have seen a sharp decline. Pooran recorded four fifties in the first six matches and held the orange cap at one point. However, his recent scores have been 6, 27, 9, 11, and 8, coinciding with LSG’s poor form. While his returns have diminished, Pooran is still striking at 200.98, which is the highest for any batter (minimum 100 balls faced) this IPL. He also has a strike rate of 264 against spin this season, which could set up an exciting contest against the RCB spinners Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma.
Krunal Pandya will be up against his old side, where he stayed for three years and was also captain for a few games. He will have a point to prove after not being retained by LSG. Krunal has been critical to RCB’s fortunes this year. He is already having his best season in terms of wickets (14). More importantly, all of his wickets have come in RCB’s wins. Along with Suyash, Krunal has kept things tight in the middle overs while also delivering important powerplay overs by varying his speeds.
Team News: Will Salt and Hazlewood Be Back?
Josh Hazlewood and Phil Salt missed RCB’s last game, and it remains to be seen whether they will return for the LSG clash. Salt trained on Thursday evening, and if he is fit, he could come in for Jacob Bethell, while Hazlewood is expected to come in place of Lungi Ngidi. RCB also needs to find a replacement for Padikkal at No. 3.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable):
- Jacob Bethell/Phil Salt
- Virat Kohli
- Mayank Agarwal/Manoj Bhandage
- Rajat Patidar
- Jitesh Sharma (wk)
- Tim David
- Romario Shepherd
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Lungi Ngidi/Josh Hazlewood
- Yash Dayal
- Suyash Sharma
Lucknow Super Giants (probable):
- Aiden Markram
- Mitchell Marsh
- Nicholas Pooran
- Rishabh Pant (capt & wk)
- David Miller
- Ayush Badoni
- Abdul Samad
- Akash Singh
- Avesh Khan
- Mayank Yadav
- Prince Yadav/Ravi Bishnoi
- Digvesh Rathi
Stats and Trivia: Kohli on the Cusp of Another Record
- Krunal has a terrific record against Markram in the IPL: three dismissals in eight balls, with an average of just 1.33.
- Virat Kohli has scored seven half-centuries in IPL 2025, each of which has come in a win. He also holds the record for most IPL fifties overall (62), alongside David Warner.
- Pooran is on top of the list for the most sixes hit this IPL: 34.
- RCB batters have the best run rate in death overs: 12.41. On the other hand, RCB bowlers have been the joint-most economical in the death overs, going at just 10.22 per over.
- LSG bowlers have the worst powerplay economy rate in IPL 2025: 10.54.
Pitch and Conditions: Black Soil Pitch in Lucknow
Pitch no. 5, a black soil surface, will be used for this game, which could see the spinners come into play a little more. These two teams have faced each other at the Ekana just once in a low-scoring thriller, where RCB defended 126 in IPL 2023. It is expected to be slightly cloudy, with no threat of rain. The temperature is expected to hover around the mid to late 30-degree mark on the Celsius scale.
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