RR vs LSG IPL 2026: Yashasvi-led RR elect to bowl against LSG as playoff hopes hang by a thread

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants in Match 64 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday.

With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Rajasthan entered the contest needing victories in both remaining matches to stay alive in the tournament. The home side, however, returned to a venue that has brought little joy this season, having lost all three matches played in Jaipur so far.

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Led by stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals named a youthful playing XI featuring Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dhruv Jurel and Donovan Ferreira, while the bowling attack continued to rely heavily on Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma.

RR’s campaign has stumbled at a crucial stage, with four defeats in their last five matches pushing them into a must-win scenario. Their previous meeting against Lucknow earlier this season remains one of their strongest performances, where they secured a commanding 40-run victory in a low-scoring encounter.

For Lucknow, already eliminated from playoff contention, the clash offered an opportunity to play spoiler in the tightly packed race for the top four. Captain Rishabh Pant led a strong batting lineup featuring Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Josh Inglis.

Lucknow Super Giants have shown signs of late momentum, winning two of their last three games despite an inconsistent season. Marsh has been their standout batter with 467 runs in 12 innings, though the lack of support from the rest of the batting order has hurt their campaign.

With pressure mounting on Rajasthan and Lucknow playing with freedom, the Jaipur clash carried significant implications for the playoff race as the IPL league stage neared its conclusion.

Playing XIs

Rajasthan Royals:
Yashasvi Jaiswal (c), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Sushant Mishra, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.

Lucknow Super Giants:
Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav.