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Although playing in only their third IPL season, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have created a niche for themselves on and off the field.
Their clashes against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been among the high-contested in terms of the action on the field, and all the fiery exchanges between players and support staff.
The Virat Kohli-Naveen-ul-Haq battles and the infamous Kohli-Gambhir clash last season, among others, have made RCB-LSG encounters one of the most heated rivalries in the IPL. While RCB won both games against LSG in 2022, including the Eliminator, Lucknow has turned things around by winning two of the last three meetings between the sides.
LSG's latest win at the Chinnaswamy Stadium by 28 runs last night meant that the head-to-head now stands at 2-3 in favor of RCB.
However, the battleground between RCB and LSG extends beyond just that and is prevalent even in social media. Both teams have taken subtle and not-so-subtle shots at each other on Twitter and Instagram, leading to fan wars.
While this 'troll' tradition amongst franchises has always been a sideshow to the IPL, LSG's social media have constantly gone after the Royal Challengers before, during, or after their games.
On that note, let us look at three instances of LSG's Social Media trolling RCB.
#1 LSG's subtle dig at RCB's 'Big 3' (KGF) in IPL 2024
LSG's latest social media dig came at the expense of RCB's big 3 of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell being dismissed in the IPL 2024 clash in Bengaluru on April 2.
Popularly referred to as 'KGF', the trio fell cheaply inside the powerplay during RCB's run-chase of 182. Kohli was the first man to get out in the fifth over for only 22, followed immediately by Faf (19) and Maxwell (0) in the next over.
A few minutes after their dismissals, the tweet from LSG's official Twitter handle in the form of a WhatsApp message read:
"Do you want to watch KGFotonight?"
"No, Thanks."
For the uninitiated, K.G.F is the name of the blockbuster Kanada movie, which is also the starting alphabets of Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Faf du Plessis.
Unfortunately for RCB, LSG also enjoyed the last laugh, winning the game by 28 runs. It was Lucknow's second win of the season in three games, while RCB sunk to second from bottom on the points table with a lone win in four outings.
#2 The 'PLAY BOLD' troll after thrilling win in IPL 2023
The first meeting between RCB and LSG in IPL 2023 was one of the most thrilling games of the season that went down to the wire.
Despite the incredible support from home fans at Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB suffered a heartbreaking final-ball defeat after scoring a massive 212/2 in 20 overs.
Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30) and Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19) brought LSG back into a contest that looked seemingly done and dusted in RCB's favor at 23/3 in four overs. A single (bye) off the final ball helped LSG pull off a miraculous victory, stunning the RCB players and fans.
If the loss wasn't enough, LSG rubbed it in further by using their official Twitter handle after the game to troll their opponents.
"Ladies & gentlemen, this is how you...𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃," read the Tweet.
'PLAY BOLD' is of course RCB's main slogan, with the side using the words as motivation to play brave and uninhibited cricket.
However, by chasing a mammoth 212 successfully, the Super Giants showcased a certain bravery in their approach even after losing three early wickets.
#3 The "Beta" troll ahead of the first-ever RCB-LSG meeting
Ahead of their first-ever meeting with RCB in IPL 2022, the LSG Twitter handle trolled their opponents by referring to them as 'Beta' (son) in response to a graphic of their playing XI.
The comments angered RCB fans and even had former Karnataka pacer Dodda Ganesh respond furiously. The post from LSG's social media handle read:
"Pesh hain aaj ke Playing XI. RCB beta, tumse na ho payega."
Dodda Ganesh tweeted in response by saying:
"Friendly banters are always welcome in cricket. But trolling is not done. A new team calling a team which’s been part of IPL since 2008, Beta, is not banter. Kindly make amends, @LucknowIPL."
However, after several such angry receptions, the LSG social media administrator deleted the tweet.
As far as the action on-field was concerned, RCB had no trouble brushing aside their opponent, winning convincingly by 18 runs. Skipper Faf du Plessis scored a brilliant 64-ball 96 to lead RCB to a formidable 181 in 20 overs. A collective bowling effort from Bengaluru bowlers restricted LSG to 163/8.
