RCB vs LSG Live Score Today: Kohli-Rahul Face-Off, Highlights & Key Moments

Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Lucknow Super Giants in Match 70 of IPL 2025 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, a fixture with huge playoff implications. RCB, led by Virat Kohli, can seal a top-two berth—and the security of an extra knockout chance—if they overcome KL Rahul’s LSG tonight. Power-packed narrative: RCB arrive on a three-match winning run powered by Kohli’s purple patch. The former India captain is 63 runs shy of becoming the first player to breach 7,500 IPL runs, and needs just one more fifty to equal David Warner’s record tally of 63 half-centuries. Opening partner Faf du Plessis has quietly chipped in with strike-rate-heavy cameos that turn the powerplay into a launchpad. LSG, meanwhile, cling to fourth place but have dropped three of their last four. Skipper KL Rahul returns from a hamstring scare and slots back atop the order, freeing up Quinton de Kock to unleash from No. 3. Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran remain the middle-over enforcers; together they have struck 57 sixes this season, the most by any franchise pair since 2022. Pitch & conditions: The black-soil surface at Lucknow has slowed appreciably in evening games, producing an average first-innings score of 171. Dew is expected after 9 p.m., nudging captains toward chasing. RCB’s decision to field first after winning the toss underlines that trend. Key battles to watch • Virat Kohli vs Ravi Bishnoi: Kohli strikes at 143 against leg-spin this season but has fallen twice to Bishnoi’s googly in the last three meetings. • Mohammed Siraj vs KL Rahul: Siraj’s wobble-seam in-ducker has produced six powerplay wickets in his last four outings, while Rahul’s strike-rate inside the first six overs (118) is the slowest among openers with 300+ runs. • Glenn Maxwell vs Krunal Pandya: Maxwell’s career SR of 196 against left-arm spin could force LSG to hold Krunal back for the death overs. Probable XIs RCB: Virat Kohli (c), Faf du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Cameron Green, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Yash Dayal. LSG: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Naveen-ul-Haq. Playoff math: A win keeps RCB in the race for the No. 1 slot, dependent on Punjab Kings’ result tomorrow. For LSG, victory guarantees qualification; defeat pushes them into a net-run-rate dogfight with Chennai and Hyderabad. Live score snapshot (7.30 p.m. IST): LSG 26/1 after 3.2 overs—Siraj castles Padikkal, de Kock and Rahul rebuilding. What it means: The clash pits RCB’s powerhouse batting against LSG’s spin choke on a surface made for tactical nuance. Expect a see-saw contest where Kohli’s milestones, Rahul’s comeback form, and the ever-looming playoff equation keep fans glued to live updates and highlight reels well past midnight.