Royal Challengers Bengaluru continued their strong run in the IPL season with a convincing five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, climbing to the top of the table with their fourth victory in five matches.
Chasing a modest target of 147, RCB made light work of the total, reaching it with nearly five overs to spare. While Virat Kohli led the scoring with a fluent 49 off 34 balls after coming in as an Impact Player, it was skipper Rajat Patidar’s audacious strokeplay that added flair to an otherwise measured chase. His back-to-back sixes off Mohammed Shami — one over long-on and another over fine-leg — stood out as the defining moments of the innings.
The match, however, lacked the typical high-octane energy expected in T20 cricket. The scoring was steady rather than explosive, and the crowd had fewer moments to erupt. Still, RCB’s composure ensured there were no late nerves.
Earlier, LSG’s struggles with the bat once again proved costly. After being put in to bat, the visitors started cautiously, managing just 16 runs off the first 17 deliveries. Mitchell Marsh briefly threatened to shift momentum with a towering hit, but the innings failed to gain real traction.
Aiden Markram’s dismissal — caught at cover off a full toss drifting down leg-side — summed up LSG’s misfortune. The situation worsened when captain Rishabh Pant was struck on the left elbow by Josh Hazlewood and had to retire hurt after facing just three balls.
Nicholas Pooran’s poor form continued as he managed only a single run before Hazlewood forced him into an error. Marsh (40) and Ayush Badoni (38) tried to rebuild with a 36-run stand, but the scoring rate remained subdued. At the halfway mark, LSG were a sluggish 71, far from a competitive position.
Badoni later stitched together another useful partnership with Mukul Choudhury (39), but sharp fielding and disciplined bowling from RCB kept the pressure intact. A key moment came when wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma took a sharp catch to dismiss Badoni, halting any late surge.
Pant returned to bat despite his injury but couldn’t make an impact, falling to a well-judged catch by Phil Salt near the boundary. It marked a disappointing outing for the LSG skipper, who also did not take the field while keeping wickets.
In the end, RCB’s clinical performance highlighted their growing consistency, while LSG were left searching for answers after another underwhelming display with the bat.
