Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have found themselves in deep trouble in the ongoing IPL 2026 following their crushing loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 15 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This defeat has made things even worse for LSG.
After being asked to bat first by RCB captain Rajat Patidar, LSG’s star-studded batting line-up failed miserably, leaving everyone shocked and disappointed. Lucknow’s start turned into a complete collapse, and they could only manage 146 runs in 20 overs against the defending champions.
This total was never going to be enough at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, and RCB finally chased down the target in 15.1 overs with five wickets in hand to jump to the top of the points table.
Murali Kartik issues stern warning to LSG after big loss to RCB
After the match, former India spinner Murali Kartik questioned the batting strength of the Lucknow Super Giants. He said that not only are they struggling with form, but they also lack strong backup options on the bench, which makes it difficult for them in the tournament.
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The biggest concern for LSG right now is that their top hitters are not performing. Captain Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh are struggling a lot with the bat.
None of these key players have crossed even 125 runs this season, which clearly shows how badly the batting unit is faring. Mainly, the form of LSG’s big signing Pooran is seriously hurting them. Interestingly, lower middle order batsman Mukul Choudhary is currently the team’s top scorer with 127 runs.
They can get Justin Langer to come out and bat: Murali Kartik
Given the situation, Kartik noted that LSG needs something to change quickly; Otherwise, their campaign will end after a couple of games this season.
Murali Kartik said on Cricbuzz: “They also don’t have much in the reserves. They have Himmat Singh, who is more of a batsman, and Akshat Raghuwanshi, who has some pedigree. But after that, they can get Justin Langer (head coach) to come out and bat. However, it is becoming more difficult for them.”
The broadcaster further added, “Some switch needs to be flipped for these batsmen, who were their linchpins last year, to click. How can Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran get some semblance of form? Especially Pooran, who seems woefully out of touch.”
Also Read: Rishabh Pant out of IPL 2026! Shocking verdict delivered by former BCCI coach
Murali Kartik in awe of chase master Virat Kohli
On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made the chase look very easy. Virat Kohli led the charge with a smart and controlled innings of 49 runs off just 34 balls and showed why he remains the best chaser in the IPL. Kartik praised Kohli’s special ability in chasing.
The former Indian player has pointed out that the RCB icon understands the game situation perfectly and knows exactly when to accelerate and when to slow down, which makes him very dangerous, especially when chasing goals.
Karthik signed off by saying, “No one needs to be told how good Virat Kohli is in a run chase. He has everything designed beautifully like a microprocessor. When you think of Virat Kohli in a run chase, there are ebbs and flows. There is never a constant upward take-off or the other way around. He knows when to respect the bowlers and when to take them on in spurts. He understands those ebbs and flows, and that is why he has been the master of the run chase. persecution”. over the years.”