Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made history in the IPL landscape with a powerful victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. It ended a 12 player penalty draw for the win, bringing RCB second straight victory with the win also crowning the top points table, overtaking Rajasthan Royals.
RCB has won four matches so far in the tournament (and lost just one) with eight points and a strong net run rate after five matches played. The team’s steady performance has turned it into one of the early favorites this season. RCB captain Rajat Patidar declared bowl first after winning the toss a choice that worked out wonders.
LSG came up short from the beginning, and were handed a mere 147 runs in 20 overs. LSG’s innings never took off late or quickly because of early setbacks. Aiden Markram was dismissed cheaply for 12 runs, and skipper Rishabh Pant had to retire hurt after being struck by a delivery from Josh Hazlewood.
Though Pant came back after a longer delay in hitting that ball, he scored just one run. The likes of Ayush Badoni (38) and Mukesh Choudhary (39) made it fairly respectable, adding up to LSG's decent total overall. RCB’s bowling attack was the top-level of the first innings. It played the role a standout of Rasikh Salam, registering four vital wickets.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar played well with three wickets, while Krunal Pandya was there with two. Hazlewood also added one wicket. RCB was the one who managed to do all the light work at the chase and hit the goal in just 15.1 overs with five wickets in hand. Virat Kohli, the star batter, gave a good start with an aggressive opening with 49 runs off 34 balls, including 6 boundaries and a six thrown in.
His innings set a good footing for the chase. Even so, Kohli worked with Devdutt Padikkal to weave a useful partnership that kept RCB from going south. Captain Patidar had a quickfire 27 from 13 balls, and Jitesh Sharma added 23 runs from nine deliveries, speeding up the scoring rate.
Near the end, Tim David and Romario Shepherd took their time to finish the game, and that was a total win for the home. This victory is particularly significant for RCB, as it marks their first-ever win against LSG at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, having lost both previous encounters at the venue. With momentum on its side, RCB must strive to continue the winning streak during the tournament.
