Table of Contents
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants rivalry began in the 2022 Indian Premier League and quickly developed into one of the competition’s more unpredictable matchups. LSG entered the IPL in 2022, while RCB had already established itself as one of the league’s most recognizable franchises.
Through the end of IPL 2026, the teams have played eight times, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru winning five matches and Lucknow Super Giants winning three. Their meetings have included a playoff eliminator, a one-wicket thriller, a dramatic 2025 run chase and two contrasting encounters in 2026.
RCB vs LSG Timeline at a Glance
| Year | Venue | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai | RCB | 18 runs |
| 2022 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | RCB | 14 runs |
| 2023 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | LSG | 1 wicket |
| 2023 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | RCB | 18 runs |
| 2024 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | LSG | 28 runs |
| 2025 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | RCB | 6 wickets |
| 2026 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | RCB | 5 wickets |
| 2026 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | LSG | 9 runs, DLS |
Overall record after IPL 2026: RCB 5 wins, LSG 3 wins.
2022: The Rivalry Begins
April 19, 2022: RCB won by 18 runs
The first meeting between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants came during LSG’s inaugural IPL season.
RCB batted first and posted 181/6. The innings featured contributions from Faf du Plessis and other members of the RCB middle order.
LSG responded with 163/8, giving RCB an 18-run victory and the first win in the new rivalry.
The result established an early pattern that would continue throughout the next few seasons: RCB were capable of putting LSG under scoreboard pressure and defending competitive totals.
May 25, 2022: RCB won by 14 runs in the Eliminator
The teams met again only a few weeks later, but the stakes were dramatically higher. This time the match was the IPL 2022 Eliminator at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
RCB produced a huge 207/4, powered by an extraordinary innings from Rajat Patidar.
Patidar smashed an unbeaten 112 from 54 balls, becoming the first uncapped player to score an IPL playoff century. Dinesh Karthik also contributed an unbeaten 37, giving RCB a powerful finish.
LSG made a strong attempt at the chase. KL Rahul scored 79, while Deepak Hooda contributed 45.
However, Josh Hazlewood delivered the decisive spell for RCB, taking 3/43. Harshal Patel also removed Marcus Stoinis, while Hazlewood dismissed Rahul during a crucial late phase.
LSG finished on 193/6, leaving RCB with a 14-run victory.
The win sent RCB into Qualifier 2 and ended LSG’s first IPL campaign in the Eliminator.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 207/4 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 193/6 |
| Result | RCB won by 14 runs |
| RCB top scorer | Rajat Patidar, 112* |
| LSG top scorer | KL Rahul, 79 |
| Best RCB bowler | Josh Hazlewood, 3/43 |
Patidar’s century remains one of the defining performances in the history of this young rivalry.
2023: A Season of Contrasting Results
The teams met twice during IPL 2023, and both matches produced memorable finishes.
April 10, 2023: LSG won by 1 wicket
The first meeting of the season at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium became one of the most dramatic games between the franchises.
RCB appeared to have control after scoring 212/2.
Virat Kohli scored 61 from 44 balls, Faf du Plessis remained unbeaten on 79 from 46, and Glenn Maxwell produced a destructive 59 from 29 balls.
The trio pushed RCB beyond 200 after the side scored 108 runs during the final seven overs.
LSG’s chase initially looked in serious trouble.
They lost Kyle Mayers early, while Wayne Parnell removed both Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya. RCB’s bowlers repeatedly created opportunities.
But Marcus Stoinis changed the match.
Stoinis smashed 65 from only 30 balls, giving LSG a chance to recover. Nicholas Pooran then produced an extraordinary 62 from 19 balls, turning the chase into a late-over assault.
LSG eventually required a single run from the final delivery.
A dramatic sequence of events ended with LSG completing the chase at 213/9, winning by one wicket.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| RCB | 212/2 |
| LSG | 213/9 |
| Result | LSG won by 1 wicket |
| RCB top scorer | Faf du Plessis, 79* |
| LSG top scorer | Marcus Stoinis, 65 |
| Key LSG innings | Nicholas Pooran, 62 off 19 |
The one-wicket victory remains one of the closest and most dramatic finishes in the rivalry.
May 1, 2023: RCB won by 18 runs
Three weeks later, the teams met again, this time at Lucknow.
The match could not have been more different.
RCB struggled to accelerate consistently and finished on only 126/9.
Faf du Plessis scored 44 from 40 balls, while Virat Kohli contributed 31 from 30. LSG’s bowlers repeatedly restricted RCB’s boundary scoring.
A target of 127 looked manageable.
Instead, RCB’s bowlers produced an outstanding defensive performance.
LSG were eventually bowled out for 108, handing RCB an 18-run victory.
The fielding effort was particularly important, with RCB producing several key catches, a stumping and a run-out.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| RCB | 126/9 |
| LSG | 108 all out |
| Result | RCB won by 18 runs |
| RCB top scorer | Faf du Plessis, 44 |
| RCB result | Defended 127 |
The 2023 season therefore ended level at one win apiece.
2024: Mayank Yadav Changes the Contest
April 2, 2024: LSG won by 28 runs
The 2024 meeting at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium introduced another important character into the rivalry: Mayank Yadav.
LSG posted 181/5, setting RCB a demanding target.
RCB began its chase positively, with Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis providing an early partnership. But LSG’s bowling attack gradually gained control.
Mayank Yadav once again displayed his pace and finished with 3/14. His performance helped LSG restrict RCB to 153 all out.
The 28-run victory gave LSG a 3-2 overall lead in the head-to-head at that point.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| LSG | 181/5 |
| RCB | 153 all out |
| Result | LSG won by 28 runs |
| Best bowler | Mayank Yadav, 3/14 |
Mayank’s performance was particularly notable because he had already produced an impressive display in the previous match and followed it with another three-wicket haul against RCB.
2025: RCB Regains Momentum
May 27, 2025: RCB won by 6 wickets
The next meeting took place at the Ekana Stadium during the final league match of IPL 2025.
LSG batted first and produced a formidable 227/3.
RCB nevertheless completed the chase, reaching 230/4 and winning by six wickets.
The decisive innings came from Jitesh Sharma.
The RCB wicketkeeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 85 from only 33 balls, producing a spectacular finishing performance.
The victory had additional significance for RCB because it secured their place in Qualifier 1.
RCB also became the first team to win all seven of its away matches during an IPL season.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| LSG | 227/3 |
| RCB | 230/4 |
| Result | RCB won by 6 wickets |
| RCB top scorer | Jitesh Sharma, 85* |
| Winning margin | 6 wickets |
This was also one of the highest-scoring matches in the history of the RCB-LSG rivalry.
2026: Two Completely Different Matches
The 2026 season produced two meetings, with each side winning once.
April 15, 2026: RCB won by 5 wickets
The first encounter of 2026 was played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
LSG were restricted to 146 all out.
Rasikh Salam Dar produced a career-best IPL performance, taking 4/24, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed three wickets. LSG struggled to build partnerships and were eventually dismissed for the lowest completed total of the 2026 IPL season at that point.
RCB then chased the target with considerable comfort.
Virat Kohli scored 49 from 34 balls, while other RCB batters provided useful contributions.
RCB reached 149/5, completing the chase with 29 balls remaining.
The five-wicket victory moved RCB ahead in the overall rivalry.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| LSG | 146 all out |
| RCB | 149/5 |
| Result | RCB won by 5 wickets |
| RCB top scorer | Virat Kohli, 49 |
| Best bowler | Rasikh Salam Dar, 4/24 |
| Balls remaining | 29 |
May 7, 2026: LSG won by 9 runs
The second meeting of the 2026 season returned to Lucknow.
This time, LSG batted first and posted 209/3.
RCB responded with 203/6, but rain affected the contest and the result was determined by the DLS method.
LSG won by nine runs, leveling the season series and moving the overall head-to-head to five RCB wins against three for LSG.
The match was another high-scoring contest, continuing the trend established in the 2025 meeting.
Match summary:
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| LSG | 209/3 |
| RCB | 203/6 |
| Result | LSG won by 9 runs, DLS |
| Venue | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow |
Season-by-Season Head-to-Head
| Season | Matches | RCB Wins | LSG Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 5 | 3 |
The overall record shows RCB holding a 5-3 advantage after eight matches.
Biggest RCB vs LSG Wins
RCB’s Biggest Victory by Runs
RCB’s largest victory by runs came in the 2023 meeting in Lucknow, when they defended 126 and bowled LSG out for 108.
The winning margin was 18 runs.
RCB also won the opening match of the rivalry in 2022 by 18 runs.
LSG’s Biggest Victory by Runs
LSG’s biggest victory by runs came in 2024, when they defeated RCB by 28 runs after Mayank Yadav’s three-wicket performance.
Closest Match
The closest match by wickets was the 2023 thriller at Bengaluru, when LSG successfully chased 213 and won by one wicket.
Highest Team Totals
The rivalry has increasingly become a high-scoring contest.
| Team | Score | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCB | 230/4 | 2025 | RCB won by 6 wickets |
| LSG | 227/3 | 2025 | RCB won by 6 wickets |
| RCB | 212/2 | 2023 | LSG won by 1 wicket |
| LSG | 213/9 | 2023 | LSG won by 1 wicket |
| LSG | 209/3 | 2026 | LSG won by 9 runs, DLS |
| RCB | 207/4 | 2022 | RCB won by 14 runs |
The 2025 meeting produced the highest aggregate score in the rivalry, with 457 runs across the two innings.
Lowest Team Totals
Not every RCB-LSG contest has been a batting festival.
The 2026 meeting in Bengaluru was particularly dominated by the bowlers. LSG were bowled out for 146, with Rasikh Salam Dar taking 4/24 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking three wickets.
The 2023 match in Lucknow was even more unusual from a batting perspective. RCB scored only 126/9 but still won because LSG were dismissed for 108.
Most Memorable Matches
2022 Eliminator
Rajat Patidar’s unbeaten 112 was the defining performance. RCB scored 207/4 and then prevented LSG from completing the chase despite KL Rahul’s 79.
2023 One-Wicket Thriller
The 2023 Bengaluru meeting remains one of the most dramatic games between the teams.
RCB scored 212/2, but Stoinis and Pooran transformed LSG’s chase. Pooran’s 62 from 19 balls was particularly destructive, and LSG completed the chase on the final delivery.
2023 Low-Scoring Defense
Just three weeks later, RCB reversed the result.
After scoring only 126/9, RCB’s bowlers dismissed LSG for 108. The 18-run victory demonstrated how dramatically conditions and match situations could change between these teams.
2024 Mayank Yadav Performance
Mayank Yadav’s 3/14 at Bengaluru became another landmark performance in the rivalry. His pace and accuracy helped LSG defend 181/5 and win by 28 runs.
2025 High-Scoring Chase
LSG’s 227/3 appeared to give them a strong chance, but Jitesh Sharma’s unbeaten 85 from 33 balls powered RCB to 230/4. It became one of the most significant successful chases in RCB’s 2025 campaign.
2026 Contrasting Results
The 2026 meetings demonstrated the variety of this rivalry.
In Bengaluru, RCB bowled LSG out for 146 and chased the target with 29 balls remaining. In Lucknow, LSG posted 209/3 and held off RCB by nine runs under the DLS method.
Key Players in the Rivalry
| Player | Team | Memorable contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Rajat Patidar | RCB | 112* in 2022 Eliminator |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | 61 in 2023 thriller; 49 in 2026 |
| Faf du Plessis | RCB | 79* in 2023 high-scoring chase |
| Glenn Maxwell | RCB | 59 off 29 in 2023 |
| Jitesh Sharma | RCB | 85* off 33 in 2025 |
| KL Rahul | LSG | 79 in 2022 Eliminator |
| Marcus Stoinis | LSG | 65 off 30 in 2023 |
| Nicholas Pooran | LSG | 62 off 19 in 2023 |
| Mayank Yadav | LSG | 3/14 in 2024 |
| Josh Hazlewood | RCB | 3/43 in 2022 Eliminator |
| Rasikh Salam Dar | RCB | 4/24 in 2026 |
What the Timeline Shows
The eight-match history has followed several distinct phases.
2022 belonged entirely to RCB. They won both meetings, including the Eliminator.
2023 was split. LSG won an extraordinary one-wicket thriller in Bengaluru, while RCB answered with an 18-run defensive victory in Lucknow.
2024 favored LSG. Mayank Yadav’s performance helped them win their only meeting of that season.
2025 returned the advantage to RCB. The six-wicket victory at Lucknow came during an important late-season run for RCB.
2026 was again divided. RCB won convincingly in Bengaluru before LSG responded with a nine-run DLS victory in Lucknow.
This pattern makes the rivalry unusually balanced despite RCB’s overall 5-3 advantage. Every season since LSG’s introduction has produced at least one match between the sides that significantly changed the momentum of the head-to-head.
FAQs
1. When did RCB and LSG first play each other?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants first met on April 19, 2022, during LSG’s debut IPL season. RCB won the match by 18 runs.
2. How many times have RCB and LSG played each other?
Through the end of IPL 2026, RCB and LSG have played eight IPL matches. RCB have won five and LSG have won three.
3. Who has the better RCB vs LSG head-to-head record?
RCB currently lead the head-to-head 5-3. The latest meeting, however, was won by LSG, who defeated RCB by nine runs using the DLS method in May 2026.
4. What is the highest-scoring RCB vs LSG match?
The 2025 meeting at Lucknow produced 457 runs in total. LSG scored 227/3 before RCB chased the target with 230/4, winning by six wickets.
5. What was the closest RCB vs LSG match?
The closest finish came in April 2023, when LSG chased 213 and defeated RCB by one wicket at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Nicholas Pooran’s 62 from 19 balls and Marcus Stoinis’ 65 from 30 were central to the chase.
Conclusion
The RCB-LSG rivalry has developed rapidly since Lucknow Super Giants entered the IPL in 2022. In only eight meetings, the teams have already produced a playoff eliminator, a one-wicket thriller, an 18-run defensive masterclass, a 28-run LSG victory, a 230-run chase and contrasting results in the two 2026 meetings.
RCB currently hold the overall advantage with five victories to LSG’s three.
Rajat Patidar’s 112* in the 2022 Eliminator, Nicholas Pooran’s 62 off 19 in 2023, Mayank Yadav’s 3/14 in 2024, Jitesh Sharma’s 85* off 33 in 2025 and Rasikh Salam Dar’s 4/24 in 2026 all represent different chapters of the rivalry.
The timeline also shows that the matchup has rarely followed a predictable pattern. One meeting can become a batting shootout while the next turns into a low-scoring bowling contest. That variety has made RCB and LSG meetings particularly notable despite the rivalry’s relatively short history