RCB to take on PBKS in Qualifier-1; Jitesh’s heroics take team home in high-scoring game against LSG

LUCKNOW: Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma arguably played the knock of his life and lifted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a handsome victory as they overcame Lucknow Super Giants with a six-wicket triumph in the final group stage game of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Punjab stayed at the top of the standings, while RCB moved to second spot with two more points. RCB have booked date with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, while Gujarat Titans, who slipped to third, will face Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator on Friday.

Bengaluru pulled off the third-highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history, courtesy of an unbeaten 107-run partnership between Mayank Agarwal and Jitesh Sharma. Notably, this was just the third time RCB chased down a 200-plus run target. RCB’s six-wicket triumph is the highest total chased in Lucknow.

𝙅𝙖𝙯𝙯𝙮 𝙅𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙝

An absolute masterclass #RCB fans, a word for your captain

Updates https://t.co/h5KnqyuYZE #TATAIPL | #LSGvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/Z4GN9RoRKB

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 27, 2025

During RCB’s pursuit of a record-shattering 229-run target, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt got off to a blistering start, striking handsomely above the asking rate in the powerplay. Virat and Salt opened their accounts with a boundary, leaving Lucknow rattled with their relentless attack. Akash Maharaj Singh forced the breakthrough by removing Salt on 30(19) in the final over of the powerplay.

Will O’Rourke pushed RCB back against the wall after dismissing Rajat Patidar(14) and Liam Livingstone (0) on two successive deliveries in the eighth over. ‘Chase Master’ Virat kept Bengaluru in the thick of the action but failed to extend his stay after crossing the 50-run mark.

He tried to take on Avesh Khan, but holed it straight to Ayush Badoni. The agony was visible on Virat’s face as he slammed his bat on his pad and walked back with his head down. RCB needed a moment of inspiration, and it came from the stand-in captain and Mayank Agarwal. They turned the game in the touring party’s favour by unleashing a flurry of boundaries.

These are the nights you play for – Thank you Bholenath for this special win. pic.twitter.com/L116RCP88y

— Jitesh Sharma (@jiteshsharma55) May 27, 2025

In the 17th over, RCB almost lost Jitesh twice. He dispatched the ball on the first ball into Badoni’s hands, but Digvesh had crossed the return crease with his back foot, resulting in a no-ball. On the next delivery, he muscled the ball away into the stands to bring up his maiden fifty in the IPL.

The game-defining moment came on the final delivery of the powerplay when Digvesh caught Jitesh short of the crease at the non-striker’s end. The bails ignited before Jitesh’s bat crossed the crease, but he remained not out after Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant withdrew the appeal.

Jitesh made the most of the opportunity and struck a hat-trick of sixes to bring Bengaluru closer to the top two spots. Jitesh finished the chase in style with a six after completing a record-breaking chase. With their heads held high, Jitesh and Mayank returned unbeaten with scores of 85(33) and 41(23), respectively.

Earlier in the match, after winning the toss and opting to bowl, Nuwan Thushara ensured RCB got off to an authoritative start by cleaning up Matthew Breetzke’s (14) off-stump with a low full toss. The South African missed the drive completely, and the stump went for a walk in the third over.

Pant surprisingly promoted himself in the batting order and ensured Lucknow walked out of the powerplay unscathed with 55/1 on the board. Marsh exuded his brute force and clubbed it flat and hard over square leg for a maximum in the 8th over.

Lucknow’s captain strode forward on the first ball of the ninth over and picked up Suyash Sharma’s variation to hammer the ball past the boundary rope. He reeled off back-to-back fours to take 16 runs and brought up his fifty as Lucknow crossed the 10 overs with 100/1.

The boundary fest continued in the following overs, and Marsh brought up his seventh half-century of the season by dispatching the ball over deep mid-wicket. Pant continued to torment Suyash with a four and a six to take 13 runs from the over.

Pant continued to deal with sixes and bashed Romario Shepherd to keep the high run flow intact. Marsh battered Bhuvneshwar Kumar with back-to-back sixes, but India’s ‘Prince of Swing’ had the last laugh by deceiving the Western Australian to give away an outside edge straight to Jitesh Sharma.

With the 152-run partnership broken and momentum lost, Nicholas Pooran joined hands with Pant at the crease to finish Lucknow’s innings on high. Pant exuded confidence by carving the ball towards the boundary rope for a four on the final delivery of Bhuvneshwar’s over.

In the 18th over, he swept the ball away for a four to bring up his first IPL ton of the season and celebrated it with a somersault as Lucknow’s dressing room celebrated with a loud roar of applause. Dayal continued to flounder his lines against Pant. The 27-year-old’s explosive fest continued in the penultimate over. He opened the face of his bat to pick up a four and then topped it up by pulling the ball away for a maximum.

Pooran welcomed Shepherd in the final over by slicing the ball away for a four. Pant flaunted his six-hitting prowess by flicking the full toss into the stands. Pooran’s short-lived 13(10) met its conclusion after he holed it straight to Dayal. Abdul Samad ran for a single on the final ball as Lucknow finished with 227/3. (ANI)