Will Virat Kohli play vs LSG in IPL 2026 despite ankle injury concerns?

April 15, 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru star Virat Kohli trained with the team on the eve of their IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, April 15. Kohli is preparing for the match after he picked up an ankle injury during RCB’s away game against Mumbai Indians on April 12. During that match, Kohli had to leave the field in the second innings while MI were chasing the target, which raised concerns about his fitness.

Despite the injury, Kohli looked in good condition during the practice session. He had a long net session of around 45 minutes, where he batted in three different phases. He faced both the main bowlers and throwdown specialists during practice. Kohli was also seen wearing a strap on his left leg, which showed that he is still recovering, but he did not show any major discomfort while batting. His smooth batting in the nets is a positive sign for RCB ahead of the important match.

Kohli’s injury update, previous performance and RCB’s team situation

In the previous match against Mumbai Indians, Kohli played a key role with the bat. He scored a steady 50 runs off 38 balls and helped his team build a strong total while batting first. However, he did not come out to field in the second innings and was seen sitting in the dressing room during the chase. Even without him on the field, RCB managed to defend a big total of 240 runs and won the match comfortably by 18 runs.

After the match, all-rounder Krunal Pandya spoke about Kohli’s fitness. He said that he had not yet spoken to the physio but believes that Kohli should be fine. He also supported Kohli’s innings, even though some people questioned the strike rate of his 50. Krunal explained that the innings was important for the team in that situation. RCB captain Rajat Patidar also shared his thoughts after the match and said that Kohli looks okay at the moment.

Looking ahead, RCB will once again depend on their strong batting lineup as they prepare to face Lucknow Super Giants. The team is currently placed third on the points table with six points. At the same time, four other teams are close behind them with four points each, which makes the competition very tight. RCB are also just two points behind the top team and one point behind Punjab Kings. With this situation, the team will be looking to win their next match and improve their position in the IPL 2026 standings.