LSG host RCB in IPL 2026 Match 50 at Ekana Cricket Stadium, with Bengaluru eyeing another strong win and Lucknow fighting to stay alive. RCB enter as favourites, powered by Virat Kohli's form and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's wickets, while LSG rely on Mitchell Marsh and Mohammed Shami
The intense rivalry of the Indian Premier League returns to the Ekana Cricket Stadium as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) prepare to host the high-flying Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This Match 50 of the 2026 season carries massive weight for both sides.
While Bengaluru sits comfortably at the second spot on the points table with six wins from nine games, Lucknow is fighting for survival at the bottom with only two victories.
Can the home side find a spark to ignite their dying campaign?
Lucknow offers a unique challenge where the Ekana Cricket Stadium surface traditionally assists bowlers. The black-soil pitch tends to be slow and sticky, making stroke-play difficult for the batters.
Spinners usually find plenty of grip here, while pacers who can bowl effective cutters will likely dominate. The climate remains pleasant with temperatures hovering around 28°C, and although the sky may be partly cloudy, the chance of rain is low.
A moderate amount of dew might appear in the second innings, which often prompts the captain winning the toss to bowl first.
The spotlight shines brightly on Virat Kohli, who has been in sublime form this season with over 470 runs. He finds great support in Rajat Patidar, the RCB captain, who is currently striking at an incredible rate of 212.
On the bowling front, Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the Purple Cap with 17 wickets, proving to be a nightmare for openers. For the Super Giants, Mitchell Marsh has been the lone warrior with nearly 400 runs, while the return of Mohammed Shami adds much-needed teeth to their pace attack.
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav.
Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood.
History heavily favours the visitors in this encounter. In the seven meetings between these two teams, Bengaluru has won five matches, while Lucknow has won only two.
Interestingly, Bengaluru has a habit of winning at the Ekana Stadium, having never lost a game there against LSG.
Is it possible for the home team to break this "away-ground" curse and finally secure a win in front of their fans? Lucknow fans certainly hope so, especially after their narrow five-wicket loss to RCB earlier this season.
Cricket enthusiasts can catch every moment of this thriller live on the Star Sports Network. For those preferring digital platforms, the match will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
Given the current form and squad balance, Bengaluru enters the contest as the clear favourite with a 60.2% winning probability. Their bowling depth and Kohli's consistency might be too much for a struggling Lucknow lineup to handle.
Will the slow nature of the Lucknow pitch favour the spin-heavy RCB attack?
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