IPL Pulse: Lines, lengths and loose ends

Good morning

Chances are you ran out of popcorn if you're an RCB fan. It was that kind of night. Missed it? Well you've come to the right place because here's Cricbuzz Pulse, your 2-minute morning scan of the IPL universe.

LSG walked into RCB's den and .

Batting first, LSG managed just 35/1 in the Powerplay as RCB's pacers were impeccable with their lines and lengths.

Rasikh Salam scalped four, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged three but it was Josh Hazlewood who walked away with the PoTM for his 1-20.

Walking in as an Impact Substitute, Virat Kohli reeled off 49 off 34 to shut the door on LSG.

RCB moved up to the top of the table with eight points and a healthy NRR of +1.503.

Rishabh Pant retired hurt after facing three balls, missing the first and copping two blows to the back elbow while attempting cross-batted swipes against Hazlewood. While he masked the pain initially, there was no denying that he was in agony. No amount of Patrick Farhart's magic spray seemed to help and he slowly trudged off the field, almost in tears. He returned to bat, his elbow now heavily strapped, but could manage just one run before a stunning grab from Phil Salt at deep mid-wicket sent him on his way again.

The award goes to Josh Hazlewood for doing Josh Hazlewood things.

The award goes to Virat Kohli for claiming and wearing the Orange Cap for the millionth time.

The award goes to Phil Salt for his overall excellence in the outfield, including the aforementioned diving catch.

The award goes to the stumps for being disturbed far too many times, especially during LSG's innings.

The award goes to the Chinnaswamy Stadium's roof for adding another ball to its hoard - a monstrous 102m six from Marsh being the delivery method this time.

Are RCB finally turning the Chinnaswamy into a... fortress? It's a claim that would've had you jeered at just a few years ago but the story is different now. They've now won five games on the bounce here (starting last season) and it's their longest winning-streak at home since 2013! While Hazlewood's excellence in the Powerplay has underlined this dominance, it hasn't been just him. They've had different individuals step up and deliver and are

Virat Kohli said that he's feeling "much better" after being under the weather for the past few days. He added that his knee "was a bit sore last game" too.

Kohli made an interesting observation on his captain too: "I always tell him, you're probably looking to assess the bowler's heart rate rather than the situation," he said. When Patidar is at the crease, chances are the bowler's heart rate is quite high!

Josh Hazlewood said that he felt in good rhythm and shape and that he "got the rust out" during the game against Rajasthan. "It was quite a slow wicket today and it was a little bit up and down, so I just had to whack away that length and get the result," he observed.

Nicholas Pooran has 42 runs from five innings in IPL 2026 so far while striking at 76.36 and a dot-ball percentage of 60. The seemingly endless rut sure is starting to .

After dealing with unsolicited overtime earlier, the same IPL captain has now become a victim of workplace hazards. The birdies tell us that morale is low, with KPIs sliding too.

and the spotlight will be on Jasprit Bumrah who is yet to take a wicket in this season. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma is the fixture owing to a hamstring niggle he sustained during the previous game.

Bumrah will put all doubts to bed by picking up a hat-trick.