In a high-octane encounter in Lucknow, stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma delivered a stunning unbeaten 85 to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a thrilling six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), securing a spot in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. (Highlights)
Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, William O'Rourke
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma
Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs: Akash Maharaj Singh
Chasing a daunting 228, RCB put on a clinical display with the bat, reaching 230/4 in just 18.4 overs. They will now face table-toppers Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 1 at Mullanpur on Thursday. Both teams finished with 19 points in the league stage, but Punjab edged RCB on net run rate.
RCB바카라™s chase was set in motion by a blistering start from Virat Kohli (54 off 30) and Phil Salt (30 off 19), who raced to 61 in just 5.4 overs. Kohli바카라™s fluent strokeplay, including 10 boundaries, saw him bring up a rapid fifty before he perished trying to clear long-off against Avesh Khan.
At 123 for 4 in the 12th over, RCB were still 103 runs adrift with the required rate climbing to nearly 13. But Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarwal (41* off 27) took charge with a breathtaking unbroken 107-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Jitesh, reprieved twice바카라”once on 49 via a no-ball and again on 57 when Rishabh Pant withdrew a run-out appeal바카라”capitalised with clean hitting down the ground and fine leg sweeps.
Jitesh fittingly ended the chase with a hat-trick of sixes off Will O바카라™Rourke in the 18th over, sealing one of RCB바카라™s finest run chases in IPL history.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant produced a vintage knock, hammering an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls to power LSG to 227/3. It was a long-awaited return to form for the LSG captain, who had struggled throughout the season with a strike rate hovering around 107.
Pant found his timing early, dispatching Yash Dayal for 18 runs in the fourth over and never looked back. He shared a massive 152-run partnership with Mitchell Marsh (67 off 37), who also struck form at the right time.
Pant바카라™s century바카라”his second in IPL and first in seven years바카라”came in style off 54 balls, highlighted by a signature lofted cover drive. His celebration, a joyous somersault, captured the emotion of a redemptive innings that combined power with finesse.
Despite LSG바카라™s imposing total, it wasn바카라™t enough on the night as Jitesh and RCB pulled off a sensational comeback, sending a strong message ahead of the playoffs.
