RR vs LSG LIVE Score, IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals continue to rely heavily on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Updated on: May 19, 2026 6:03:18 PM IST

Live Score RR vs LSG IPL 2026: The IPL playoffs race has reached a crucial stage, and Rajasthan Royals still control their own destiny in the fight for the final available spot. With two matches remaining, a pair of wins would guarantee qualification without depending on other results, making tonight’s clash against Lucknow Super Giants a must-win encounter. LSG, despite being out of playoff contention, have shown signs of pride and fight in recent games, winning two of their last three matches. They may be out of the race, but will be eager to climb off the bottom of the table and finish the season with some respect, which makes them a dangerous opponent for a high-stakes fixture.

Rajasthan, however, enter this contest under pressure after three consecutive defeats that have halted their early-season momentum. What once looked like a strong and steady campaign has now become a tense finish, with inconsistencies creeping into both batting and execution in crunch moments. Captain Riyan Parag faces a key test in steadying the side and pulling them out of this slump at the right time.

Much of the attention will once again be on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has emerged as a bright spark in an otherwise uneven batting unit. His maturity under pressure has stood out, but the reliance on such a young player highlights the batting concerns RR are carrying into the business end of the tournament. At the same time, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dip in form during the second half of the season has become a major worry. For Rajasthan to stay alive in the playoff race, they will need their top order to fire in unison and deliver when it matters most.

Rishabh Pant’s uncertain run in the batting order continued through the season, with the keeper-batter struggling to find a fixed role and not even coming out to bat in the previous game as the team tried different combinations. However, a major selection call has now gone against him today only, with Pant dropped from the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series and also removed from the Test vice-captaincy position. In his place, Ishan Kishan has been brought into the ODI setup as the wicketkeeping option, while KL Rahul has been appointed as the new Test vice-captain under Shubman Gill, marking a clear shift in leadership and selection direction ahead of the series.

Squads

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Riyan Parag (c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Aman Rao Perala, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, Dasun Shanaka, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravi Singh, Vignesh Puthur, Brijesh Sharma.

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan, Naman Tiwari, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, Akshat Raghuwanshi.

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