IPL 2026 RCB vs LSG Match 23 Best Playing 11 Team Preview
With Josh Hazlewood to return, explore the RCB vs LSG match 23 each team best playing 11 and preview for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
It’s match number 23 in the TATA Indian Premier League 2026, and we have the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, taking on the Lucknow Super Giants in RCB’s home den, Bengaluru. While RCB are coming off an empathetic win over the Mumbai Indians, LSG are coming off a loss against the Gujarat Titans. RCB are currently 3rd in the points table with 3 wins from 4 games. Whereas LSG are 6th with 2 wins from 4 games.
The RCB team once again looks to get back to their IPL 2025 self, where they not only had a strong squad, but also saw useful contributions from most of their players. The form of Phil Salt was a worry until yesterday, but the English Wicket-keeper returned to form with a stunning knock against the MI Team at Wankhede. The Team will be pleased with their batting performance, having smashed a stunning 240 in 20 overs. The bowling for RCB is still a worry, though, as they conceded near about same runs in their 20 overs.
LSG, on the other hand, are losing their control of being a batting powerhouse. If there was one area where Lucknow Super Giants were really good last year, it was their batting. The likes of Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran were not only consistent but also played an aggressive brand of cricket throughout the tournament. But inconsistent batting order, and a change in batting positions have made LSG weaker in the batting department too. The bowling, although it seems to have improved compared to last year.
Key Match Details
Tournament: Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026
Match Details: CSK vs DC Match 23
Where: Bengaluru
When: April 15, 2026, 7:30 pm IST
After witnessing a high-scoring contest at Wankhede, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will once again witness a thrilling high-scoring contest. 200+ scores are becoming the norm in the Indian Premier League, and with pitches and ground dimensions like those of Wankhede, Chinnaswamy, Hyderabad, and Cheapuk, the tournament has become a graveyard for bowlers. But with Smaller boundaries, the impact player rule allowing 8-9 batters, and little assistance from the pitch, this is the harsh reality we have to live with.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Complete Squad List for IPL 2026
Batters
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar
- Satvik Deswal
- Tim David (OS)
- Virat Kohli
Wicket-keepers
- Jitesh Sharma
- Jordan Cox (OS)
- Phil Salt (OS)
All-rounders
- Jacob Bethell (OS)
- Kanishk Chouhan
- Krunal Pandya
- Mangesh Yadav
- Romario Shepherd (OS)
- Swapnil Singh
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Vihaan Malhotra
- Vicky Ostwal
Bowlers
- Abhinandan Singh
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Jacob Duffy (OS)
- Josh Hazlewood (OS)
- Nuwan Thushara (OS)
- Rasikh Dar
- Suyash Sharma
The RCB team made a big call last match, with Jacob Duffy replacing Josh Hazlewood. The reason for Hazlewood’s exclusion is still not known, but Jacob Duffy, on his comeback, didn’t look that impressive. If Hazlewood is fit, then he should straight away make it to the playing 11. Another major issue that RCB may see is the injury to Rasikh Dar. Rasikh couldn’t complete his quota of overs against MI, and with the next match just a couple of days away, RCB will have to draft in Mangesh Yadav in Rasikh’s place for the match against LSG.
IPL 2026 RCB vs LSG Match 23 Best Playing XI for Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Virat Kohli
- Phil Salt
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Jitesh Sharma (wk)
- Tim David
- Romario Shepherd
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Josh Hazlewood
- Suyash Sharma
Best Impact Player: Mangesh Yadav
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Complete Squad List for IPL 2026
Batters
- Aiden Markram (OS)
- Akshat Raghuvanshi (OS)
- Ayush Badoni
- Himmat Singh
- Matthew Breetzke (OS)
Wicket-keepers
- Josh Inglis (OS)
- Mukul Choudhary
- Nicholas Pooran (OS)
- Rishabh Pant
All-rounders
- Abdul Samad
- Arjun Tendulkar
- Arshin Kulkarni
- Mitchell Marsh (OS)
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- George Linde (OS)
Bowlers
- Akash Singh
- Anrich Nortje (OS)
- Avesh Khan
- Digvesh Singh
- M Siddharth
- Mayank Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Mohsin Khan
- Naman Tiwari
- Prince Yadav
The Lucknow Super Giants team seems to have finally found a settled playing 11, with the inclusion of George Linde. However, Linde isn’t that great a bowler. So, in case LSG bat first, they can take a call on including Siddharth in place of Linde, in case their batting does well. However, the main thing LSG need to do is fix their batting order. Nicholas Pooran at 5 is turning out to be a gaffe moment for the LSG team. So, let Pooran bat at 4 or 3, above Badoni, should be the way forward for now.
IPL 2026 RCB vs LSG Match 23 Best Playing XI for Lucknow Super Giants
- Mitchell Marsh
- Aiden Markram
- Rishabh Pant (c&wk)
- Ayush Badoni
- Nicholas Pooran
- Abdul Samad
- Mukul Choudhary
- George Linde / M Siddharth
- Avesh Khan
- Mohammed Shami
- Digvesh Rathi
Best Impact Player: Prince Yadav
The match will be exciting to watch, as both Marsh and Markram will be hungry for runs. Marsh, in particular, hasn’t done anything significant so far in the tournament, and this has affected the batting performance of the LSG team. Pant, aside from that match-winning fifty, has looked rusty in his shot selection. The LSG team will need better performance in the batting department; it might be too late.
Thanks for reading! What’s your best playing 11 for the RCB vs LSG Match 23 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com
