IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s strongest predicted XI against Lucknow Super Giants

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be challenged by Lucknow Super Giants in Match No. 50 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday, May 07.

The defending champions come into this clash on the back of their third loss of the season, which came against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. They have won six games out of nine thus far and will be looking to rack up wins for a strong finish on the leaderboard. In the reverse fixture in Bengaluru, RCB had beaten the Rishabh Pant-led side by a handsome margin.

Here is RCB's strongest predicted playing XI for Match 50 vs LSG:

Top order: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal

The talismanic Virat Kohli has seen a reinvigoration in his batting in IPL 2026. The mercurial batter has scored 379 runs at a strike rate of 165.50, and strikes at 166.9 in the powerplay, his highest in tournament history. He has started taking on the bowlers from the get-go, providing blistering starts to RCB in the games. Jacob Bethell has filled in at the top of the order for the injured Phil Salt but has yet to make a mark with just 39 runs in three innings.

Devdutt Padikkal has looked rejuvenated at number three, and while his run tally reads 282 runs, his blistering strike rate of 188.00 is what stands out. He has been merciless in his takedown of both pace and spin while playing with the trademark elegance associated with his batting.