In match 23 of the Indian Premier League 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will lock horns with Lucknow Super Giants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. As the league stage gathers steam, it's quite evident that the two sides are in stark contrast, with RCB looking like a settled unit with three wins from four matches and LSG stuttering and losing as many as they have won (2), and desperate for a moment of rhythm. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have looked quite the balanced unit in this edition of the competition with all corners of the team chipping in. Skipper Rajat Patidar has set a tone for the batting unit and his dominance against pace has given his team the much required lift. Although their batting seems to have clicked, bowling at the death remains a concern for the team (except Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose attack, barring a few, has gone for runs). Despite these slight imperfections, RCB have had the upper hand in games especially at home. Lucknow Super Giants, on the other hand, have been in a similar position in every season. They haven't found the impactful performances they expected from their overseas talent like Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran. There have been some positive indications, especially from bench performances like that of Mukul Choudhary, and an outstanding bowler’s attack led by Mohammed Shami. Considering the possible inclusion of Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan in the pace attack, which will be complemented by hard length on this pitch, it will be intriguing to watch this match unfold. At the toss, Bengaluru have won and chose to bowl first. Rajat Patidar confirms Hazlewood's inclusion inplace of Duffy. Here's what the captains said at the toss: Rajat Patidar: "We're gonna bowl first. It's pretty obvious. I see a pretty good surface. So, we bowl first and take the advantage of the first innings and keep the pressure. Not much (on the pitch). The previous game was having a lot of grass. But I think this wicket, I think there is no grass. So, it will be a good track. But yeah, let's see. I think everyone is doing pretty much good for the team (on the necessary improvements). And coming on the different stage and performing for the team. I think that's what the team stand for us. Just one change. Josh Hazlewood comes in place of Duffy." Rishabh Pant: "I think pretty good. You know, it's a good wicket to bat on. Because in wickets like this, you can bat first or bowl first. Eventually, you've got to play a better cricket. We feel as a group, we've got to regroup, you know, come together and take ownership of whatever role we are playing as a team. And as easier in every match, we don't want to introspect how we are playing cricket. We just want to trust in the group. And hopefully, people will put their hand up and say, hey, I'm going to win the match for the team m(on what they need to do better). Definitely, you know, we talk about being leaders. And there are a lot of leaders in the group. You know, eventually, you've got to go out there and perform at the same time, soak in that pressure for the team and try to do well. We're playing with the same team." Also Read | Rishabh Pant, LSG’s Key Batter vs RCB, Needs to Step Up and Repeat 2025 Form RCB vs LSG Playing XI Royal Challengers Bengakuru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar RCB Impact subs: Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Mangesh Yadav Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav LSG Impact subs: Manimaran Siddharth, George Linde, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Mayank Yadav