Royal Challengers Bengaluru sauntered to its fourth victory in 5 matches this IPL season, beating Lucknow Tremendous Giants by 5 wickets on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium right here on Wednesday.
Chasing a modest 147, RCB acquired dwelling with practically 5 overs to spare to go high of the desk. Virat Kohli (49, 34b, 6×4, 1×6), who got here in as an Influence Participant, scored essentially the most, but it surely was captain Rajat Patidar’s two breath-taking sixes off Mohammed Shami – over long-on and above fine-leg – that can stay lengthy in reminiscence.
By T20 requirements, a lot of the competition was slow-burn. The hitting was not manic, the environment not so frenzied, and the 29,000 odd followers didn’t have as many moments as they often would to let loose the gasps and whoops.
However even that won’t assist LSG from feeling tarred and feathered, because it got here up with one other abject batting effort. It would additionally really feel knackered, for Rishabh Pant, hit on his left elbow by Josh Hazlewood whereas batting, didn’t come out to maintain.
After Patidar requested the guests to bat, LSG began gingerly, scoring simply 16 runs from the primary 17 balls. When Mitchell Marsh hit the final supply of the third over – from Bhuvneshwar Kumar – onto the roof over square-leg, it was anticipated to have an unshackling impact.
What adopted was the precise reverse. Aiden Markram was out in weird style, caught at cowl off a full toss down the leg-side by Rasikh Salam. Pant retired harm off the third ball he confronted, and Nicholas Pooran’s wretched run continued (1, 7b) as the superb Hazlewood (4-0-20-1) pressured him to play on.
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Ayush Badoni (38, 24b, 4×4, 1×6) and Marsh (40, 32b, 3×4, 2×6) mixed for 36 runs however run-rate was nowhere close to passable. And within the tenth over, when Marsh performed Krunal Pandya on, LSG had reached simply 71.
Badoni was concerned in one other mini rescue-act with Mukul Choudhury (39, 28b, 3×4, 2×6), however a pointy catch from wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma ended the previous’s keep.
Pant bravely got here out to bat however didn’t final lengthy, caught as he was by a diving Phil Salt on the square-leg boundary. That was Pant’s final act on the sphere, and he discovered little pleasure within the dressing room too.
Printed on Apr 15, 2026