Lucknow Super Giants kept their slim IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a high-pressure win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-affected contest at the Ekana Stadium on Thursday, May 7. The victory may only offer LSG a mathematical lifeline, but it keeps them alive in the race heading into the final stretch of the league stage.
Mitchell Marsh led the charge with a breathtaking century, while Nicholas Pooran (38 off 23) and captain Rishabh Pant (32* off 10) chipped in with explosive cameos to propel LSG to a massive 209/3 in a rain-curtailed 19-over innings, the highest total recorded at the venue this season despite repeated rain interruptions.
Marsh set the ball rolling, bringing up the fastest IPL fifty of his career in just 20 balls, and finishing with 111 off 56 deliveries, hammering nine fours and nine sixes in a dominant display that completely shifted momentum in LSG’s favour.
RCB’s chase suffered an early setback as Jacob Bethell (4) was dismissed in the first over by Mohammed Shami and Virat Kohli was then castled for a duck by Prince Yadav in the very next over, leaving the visitors under immediate pressure, chasing a revised DLS target of 213 in 19 overs.
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Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal attempted to drag RCB back into contention with an aggressive counterattack, adding 95 off 53 balls for the third wicket. However, the pair were split by Yadav, who caught Padikkal (34) off his own bowling in the 11th over and Shahbaz Ahmed got rid of the RCB skipper Patidar (61) in the next over to once again swing the momentum in LSG’s favour.
However, Tim David (40 off 17 balls) played a blinder to set up a tense finish, while Krunal Pandya (28* off 16) and Romario Shepherd (23* off 15) almost dragged RCB over the line but LSG ultimately prevailed, to win by 9 runs by the DLS method.
The victory also ended LSG’s miserable run at the Ekana Stadium, marking their first win at the venue after eight consecutive defeats.
What’s Next For LSG And RCB In The Playoff Race?
The result keeps LSG mathematically alive in the playoff race, though their qualification path remains extremely narrow. With six points from 10 matches and a heavily negative net run rate, Lucknow remain rooted to the bottom of the table despite the win.
They must now win all four of their remaining league games, against Chennai Super Kings (both home and away), Rajasthan Royals (away) and Punjab Kings (home), to reach 14 points and stay in contention. Even then, they would require favourable results elsewhere and significant improvement in net run rate.
For RCB, the defeat dents their hopes of securing a top-two finish. While they remain strongly placed in the top-four race with 12 points from 10 games and a healthy net run rate, the loss increases the pressure heading into a difficult final run of fixtures against Mumbai Indians (home), Kolkata Knight Riders (home), Punjab Kings (away) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (away).
RCB likely need at least two wins from those four matches to comfortably secure qualification, while three or more victories may be necessary to finish inside the top two.
Here’s a look at how the IPL 2026 points table stands after LSG vs RCB.
| Pos | Teams | Played | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
| 1 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0.737 |
| 2 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0.571 |
| 3 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1.234 |
| 4 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0.51 |
| 5 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 12 | -0.147 |
| 6 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0.151 |
| 7 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | -0.949 |
| 8 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | -0.539 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | -0.649 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | -0.934 |
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