Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally registered a win against Lucknow Super Giants. The 23rd league match of IPL 2026 saw Bengaluru defeat Lucknow by 5 wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. This marked RCB’s first home victory against Lucknow. With this win, Bengaluru, led by Rajat Patidar, climbed to the top of the points table.

Bengaluru’s bowling attack set the tone for the match, with strong performances from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam. Rasikh picked up 4 wickets, while Bhuvneshwar contributed with 3.

Kohli Reclaims the Orange Cap

During the run chase, Virat Kohli played a crucial knock, scoring 49 runs off 34 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six. This was the first time Kohli featured as an Impact Player in an IPL match. Interestingly, it was also the first time in his IPL career that he was dismissed on 49.

With this innings, Kohli reclaimed the Orange Cap. He has now scored 228 runs in five innings across five matches for RCB.

RCB Dominates the Match

RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first. Batting first, Lucknow were bowled out for 146 runs in 20 overs.

Mitchell Marsh was the top scorer for Lucknow with 40 runs off 32 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. Mukul Chaudhary added 39 runs, while Ayush Badoni contributed 38. However, the rest of the batting lineup struggled, with seven out of eleven players failing to reach double figures.

Alongside Rasikh and Bhuvneshwar, Krunal Pandya took two wickets, while Josh Hazlewood picked up one for Bengaluru.

Comfortable Chase for Bengaluru

Chasing a target of 147, Bengaluru secured the win comfortably in just 15.1 overs, losing five wickets in the process.

Apart from Kohli’s contribution, captain Rajat Patidar scored 27 runs, and Jitesh Sharma added 23. For Lucknow, Prince Yadav took two wickets, but it wasn’t enough to stop RCB from cruising to victory.

RCB’s Fortress: 5 Consecutive Wins at Home

In any tournament, especially one like the IPL, a team’s success heavily depends on how well they perform at home. With matches played across multiple venues, maintaining consistency can be challenging. However, dominating at your home ground significantly boosts your chances of winning the trophy.

RCB has clearly understood this strategy. Since IPL 2025, they have remained unbeaten in five consecutive matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Given their current form and strong performances, it would not be wrong to consider RCB as one of the strongest contenders for the IPL 2026 title.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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