Virat Kohli is not in the XI for RCB’s IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants today (April 15) - here’s why.
RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first at home, with Rajat Patidar announcing one change at the toss - with Josh Hazlewood coming in for Jacob Duffy. When the XIs came out, there was another change for RCB, with fans surprised by the exclusion of Kohli in the bowling-first XI.
In the team sheet, Phil Salt was the designated opener alongside Devdutt Padikkal, with skipper Rajat Patidar at No.3. Kohli was listed among the five Impact Players for the game, alongside Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan and Mangesh Yadav.
Match 23, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants
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Why isn’t Kohli in RCB’s XI vs LSG?
This is the first time since April 2017 that RCB's starting XI does not feature Kohli, and only the fifth time since 2008. While there is no official reason for him not fielding, reports suggest that he hurt his ankle during RCB’s previous clash with the Mumbai Indians, where he did not field in the second innings.
However, Kohli can come in as an Impact Player during the second innings, when RCB will be batting, and so isn't entirely ruled out of the game.
RCB, the defending champions, have made a fine start to their season, winning three out of four games thus far. Kohli is currently the team’s second-highest run-scorer, after Rajat Patidar, with 179 runs at 59.66 and a strike rate of 162.72. Heinrich Klaasen is currently the Orange Cap holder, with 224 runs from five innings. Prasidh Krishna holds the Purple Cap for taking 10 wickets so far.
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