Virtually, the tournament is over for the ninth-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), whereas the Rajasthan Royals (RR) will aim to get back into their winning
ways
On Wednesday evening, i.e., April 22, ninth-placed LSG will host RR, who are currently third on the table and have lost only one game so far in the tourney. For LSG with only four points from six games, it could be said that the tournament is virtually over. After all, to reach the playoffs, they definitely have to win all of their remaining matches. Conversely, the Royals are in a position to qualify for the playoffs, and following their recent defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders, they will strive to regain their winning form.
While it is impossible to predict the match’s outcomes, we can certainly examine the rivalry between the two sides, predict the playing XIs, and more.
Head-to-head
🚨 Ashok Sharma bowling spells in IPL 26 🚨
— VIKAS (@Vikas662005) April 18, 2026
- 4-0-45-2 vs KKR
- 4-0-32-2 vs LSG
- 3-0-45-0 vs DC
- 4-0-47-1 vs RR
- 3-0-31-1 vs RCB
He is 23 year old, bowls 150 Kmph 🤯takes 6 Wkt. bowls at good length & discipline bowling. pic.twitter.com/tbU6S1e5o5
Given that LSG is one of the newest teams in the IPL, they have played only six matches against RR. Out of six matches, the Royals have won four, whereas LSG has won two. No games between the two sides have ended in a draw or ever been abandoned.
Last clash
Last season, the two sides played only one match against each other at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. LSG had set a target of 180 runs, thanks to Aiden Markram’s 60 runs, followed by Ayush Badoni’s 50. A late surge by Abdul Samad, who hit 30 runs in 10 balls, helped LSG post the mentioned target.
"If LSG is chasing, Avesh Khan has to be at the non-striker's end" - Indian legend's hilarious remark ahead of IPL 2026 match against RCB https://t.co/fgj6sv2NlL pic.twitter.com/Y7tL6N5UEe
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) April 15, 2026
In the second innings, the Royals started strong, with Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring 74 runs and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributing 34 runs off 20 balls. Riyan Parag also scored 39 runs off 26 balls, but the Royals failed to maintain their momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals, disrupting partnerships.
Avesh Khan was the man who grabbed three crucial wickets and stopped the Royals from winning the game. LSG emerged victorious with a narrow two-run win.
Match-fixing allegations
राजस्थान रॉयल्स का पिछला मैच फिक्स था?
— News18 Rajasthan (@News18Rajasthan) April 21, 2025
RCA एड-हॉक कमेटी कन्वीनर ने लगाए गंभीर आरोप
BCCI और जांच एंजेंसियों जांच करें तो सच्चाई बाहर होगी- बिहाणी#RajasthanRoyals #IPL #LSGVsRR #BCCI #RajasthanWithNews18 pic.twitter.com/gMc65VxXMA
Post the game, match-fixing allegations were made by Jaideep Bihani, convenor of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) ad hoc committee, who questioned how the Royals lost the game from a winning position. He also accused the team of not allowing RCA to get involved in the team's management for the 2025 season. After several rounds of allegations, debates and answer-backs, the incident cooled off.
Predicted playing XIs
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant, Matthew Breetzke, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Mohsin Khan.
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma.
