Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won a high-scoring match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets in their final league-stage clash of IPL 2025. RCB chased down a mammoth 228-run target in 18.4 overs in Lucknow, registering their highest-ever successful chase and the third-highest in IPL history.
RCB finished the league stage in second place with 19 points and are now set to face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 on May 29 in Mullanpur. At the same venue on May 30, Gujarat Titans (GT) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator.
Talking about the chase, openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli provided a brisk start, adding 61 runs in just 5.4 overs. After Salt was dismissed for 30 off 19, Rajat Patidar came in as the Impact Player but made only a small contribution of 14 off 7.
Liam Livingstone fell for a golden duck, and suddenly, RCB were 90/3 in eight overs. Kohli and Mayank Agarwal steadied the innings, with Kohli reaching his eighth fifty of the season. However, the veteran mistimed a shot and was dismissed for 54 off 30.
Skipper Jitesh Sharma then took centre stage. Alongside Agarwal, he began to shift the momentum swiftly. He batted brilliantly, picking the right deliveries to attack, and RCB reached 189/4 in 16 overs, needing 39 runs from the final four overs.
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Drama unfolded in the 17th over. Digvesh Rathi came on to bowl and struck on the very first ball, as Ayush Badoni took a good catch to dismiss Jitesh. However, the umpires checked the delivery and ruled it a no-ball because Rathi’s back foot had touched the line. As a result, the RCB captain survived, was awarded a free hit, and made full use of it by smashing a six.
After three singles in the next four deliveries, the final ball of the over saw more drama. As Rathi was about to bowl to Agarwal, he suddenly dislodged the bails at the non-striker’s end and appealed for a run out. The third umpire found Jitesh clearly outside the crease, but because Rathi hadn’t completed his delivery stride, the appeal was turned down as per the rules. Even the LSG skipper was seen withdrawing the appeal, which left a strong impression on the crowd at the Ekana Stadium.
Following that moment of survival, Jitesh unleashed carnage, smashing two fours and two sixes off William O’Rourke in the next over. Eventually, with eight balls to spare, he sealed the chase by hitting a six off Badoni. Jitesh remained unbeaten on 85 off just 33 balls — his maiden IPL fifty — while Agarwal supported him well with 41 not out off 23.
Earlier, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl. The LSG batters came out firing, posting 227/3 in 20 overs. Mitchell Marsh scored a rapid 67 off 37, while skipper Rishabh Pant lit up the evening with his second IPL century — an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls. After struggling with the bat throughout the season, Pant finally showed his class and ended LSG’s IPL 2025 campaign with a magnificent knock.
Jitesh was named Player of the Match. At the post-match presentation, he said: “I can’t believe I played that knock. When Virat bhai was out, I was just thinking of taking it deep. As my mentor and guru Dinesh (Karthik) anna says, just take it deep. We want to enjoy the moment. But we’ll try to recover well. We’ll look to carry the momentum into the next match.”
Also Read: LSG vs RCB, IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant Ends Lean IPL Season with a Sensational Ton