Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be keen to maintain its perfect away record in the Indian Premier League this season – six wins out of six so far – and seal playoffs qualification when it meets Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium here on Friday.
With 16 points from 11 games, RCB’s top-four hopes are not under serious threat. But the assurance of a spot with two matches remaining – both of which are at home – will give Rajat Patidar’s men the necessary lift to go guns blazing for a top-two finish.
RCB will not have No. 3 batter Devdutt Padikkal, who is out with a hamstring injury. The participation of Josh Hazlewood, who sat out of the win against Chennai Super Kings because of a troubled shoulder, is still uncertain.
But in encouraging news, fiery opening bat Phil Salt, who has missed the last two fixtures, practised on Thursday. Together with Virat Kohli’s form, young opener Jacob Bethell’s enterprise and a well-rounded bowling attack, RCB still looks strong. And Romario Shepherd’s mindboggling batting against CSK last Saturday is sure to induce fear in opponents.
For Rishabh Pant’s LSG, this is a do-or-die clash. It has just 10 points from 11 games and has lost three on the trot leading in to this contest.
Even as middle-order bat Ayush Badoni has impressed, the struggles of Nicholas Pooran recently, and skipper Pant’s all-season, have held LSG back.
Of late, the bowling has come undone too as Delhi Capitals chased 159 with eight wickets left, and Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings raked up 215 and 236 respectively. One more middling performance will all but guarantee elimination.
Published – May 08, 2025 06:43 pm IST
