In a thrilling conclusion to the league stage of the TATA tournament, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a spot in Qualifier 1 with a six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium on Monday.
Skipper Jitesh Sharma delivered an impressive performance, scoring an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls, earning him the Player of the Match title, and leading RCB to the third-highest successful run chase in IPL history.
This victory secured RCB a matchup against Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 and made them the first team to win all seven away matches in a single IPL season.
RCB won the toss and chose to bowl in this crucial league match, while LSG, already out of playoff contention, made several changes. Aiden Markram was unavailable due to international commitments, allowing Matthew Breetzke to debut in his IPL. However, Breetzke made little impact and was dismissed by Nuwan Thushara in the third over.
LSG captain Rishabh Pant came in at No. 3 and quickly took control of the innings. Along with the consistent Mitchell Marsh, Pant steadied the ship before launching an aggressive assault. The duo propelled LSG to 100 runs for the loss of one wicket by the halfway mark.
Marsh continued his outstanding form, scoring his seventh fifty-plus score of the season and surpassing the 600-run mark in the tournament. While the RCB bowlers struggled, Pant began to accelerate, and the pair combined for a massive 152-run partnership, which was LSG’s second-highest ever in IPL history.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar finally dismissed Marsh, who scored a solid 67 off 37 balls. Pant, undaunted, celebrated a sensational century, his first of the season, off just 54 deliveries. He concluded the innings unbeaten on a brilliant 118 off 61 balls, guiding LSG to a challenging total of 227 for 3.
In response, RCB openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli attacked LSG’s bowling from the start, scoring 31 runs in the first two overs. Despite their aggressive start, Salt fell in the final over of the powerplay, contributing 30 runs off 19 balls, leaving RCB at 66 for 1 after six overs without hitting a single six.
As RCB sought to consolidate their position, Will O’Rourke struck twice in the eighth over, dismissing Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone in consecutive deliveries. Suddenly, RCB found themselves under pressure at 90 for 3.
Virat Kohli, however, kept the momentum going, crafting a fluent 54 off 30 balls, thus marking his third consecutive season with over 600 runs. His dismissal in the 12th over at the hands of Avesh Khan left RCB at 132 for 4, with the required run rate climbing substantially.
At this crucial juncture, Jitesh Sharma stepped up. The RCB captain took centre stage, forming a vital partnership with Mayank Agarwal that kept the chase alive. A pivotal moment occurred in the 16th over when Digvesh appeared to have dismissed Jitesh for 49, only for it to be ruled a no-ball. Jitesh capitalised on this, hitting a six on the free hit and bringing up his first-ever TATA IPL half-century in just 22 balls.
He continued his onslaught, smashing O’Rourke for 21 runs in the next over, bringing RCB within striking distance. With just 7 runs needed off 12 balls, Jitesh fittingly finished the match in the 19th over with a towering six, sealing the six-wicket victory.
Jitesh remained unbeaten on 85 off 33 balls, while Mayank Agarwal supported him well with 41 off 23 balls, as RCB completed the chase in 18.4 overs.
With this victory, RCB moved up to second place on the points table, amassing 19 points from 14 games. They will face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, May 29, at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
As for LSG, they ended their campaign on a high-scoring note but will regret the missed opportunities earlier in the tournament that kept them out of playoff contention.
