Lucknow, 28 May (H.S.): In a thrilling finish to the league stage of TATA IPL 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets at Ekana Stadium, securing a place in Qualifier 1. RCB's captain, Jitesh Sharma, was the star with an explosive 85* off just 33 balls, earning him the Player of the Match title and marking RCB's impressive record of winning all seven away matches in a single IPL season.

RCB won the toss and opted to bowl, while LSG, already eliminated from playoff contention, made several changes, including Matthew Breetzke's IPL debut. Unfortunately, Breetzke failed to impress, getting out to Nuwan Thushara early. LSG’s captain, Rishabh Pant, took charge at No. 3 and, alongside Mitchell Marsh, stabilized the innings. The pair built a remarkable 152-run partnership, which is the second-highest in LSG's IPL history, leading LSG to 100/1 at the halfway point. Marsh scored 67 runs off 37 balls before being dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while Pant reached an incredible 100 off just 54 balls, finishing with an unbeaten 118* as LSG set a formidable target of 227/3.

In response, RCB's openers, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, targeted LSG's bowlers aggressively, scoring 31 runs in the first two overs. Despite Salt falling for 30, RCB was comfortably placed at 66/1 after six overs. However, two quick wickets from Will O’Rourke put RCB under pressure at 90/3. Kohli, with a solid 54 off 30 balls, briefly stabilized the innings before being dismissed, leaving RCB at 132/4.

Jitesh Sharma then took control, forming a critical partnership with Mayank Agarwal. A turning point occurred when a potential dismissal for Jitesh was ruled a no-ball, allowing him to score quickly, including a six on a free hit. He ultimately propelled RCB to victory with the final six, ending the match at 85* off 33 balls, while Agarwal contributed 41*. RCB finished second in the points table and is set to play Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1. LSG concluded their season with this high-scoring match but will lament previous missed opportunities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar