Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 70th match of IPL 2025. The game will be played at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. If RCB win, they will likely secure a top-two finish. As a result, they will only need two more wins to lift their first IPL trophy. However, if they lose, they must play in the Eliminator. Last season, they exited the tournament at that stage despite a strong comeback.

LSG Have Nothing to Lose

On the other hand, LSG are already out of the playoff race. Still, they dented Gujarat Titans’ top-two hopes by defeating them in Ahmedabad. Therefore, they will try to spoil RCB’s party as well.

RCB must be cautious. LSG have several dangerous hitters. Fortunately, Josh Hazlewood has returned from injury to lead RCB’s bowling attack. Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar did not captain in the last game and only played as a batter. So, his fitness remains uncertain.

RCB Need a Confidence Boost

Moreover, RCB will look for momentum ahead of the playoffs. Beating a fearless team like LSG could build that. However, they are coming off a loss. So, the question is — can they bounce back under pressure?

Pitch Conditions Have Shifted

Traditionally, the pitch at Ekana has favored spinners and remained slow. But recently, that has changed. In fact, three of the last four innings here saw scores of over 200. Therefore, another high-scoring game is likely. This shift could benefit LSG, who rely on their strong batting lineup.

Additionally, dew may affect the second innings. Hence, the team winning the toss might prefer to bowl first.

Weather to Stay Clear

Luckily, weather won’t be a concern. According to Accuweather, there is only a 7% chance of rain on Tuesday evening. As a result, the game should proceed without delays. Dew, however, might play a role later in the match.

Probable Playing XI's

Lucknow Super Giant (LSG): Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Akash Maharaj Singh/Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep
Impact Sub: Prince Yadav

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma (c & wk), Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma