Lucknow Super Giants Upset Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Thrilling Match
Match Overview
In a surprising turn of events, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) triumphed over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 9 runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method. RCB was set a target of 210 runs, and expectations were high for Virat Kohli to lead the charge. Unfortunately for the fans, he was dismissed for a duck on just the second ball of the second over, thanks to the young fast bowler Prince Yadav. Interestingly, Kohli had previously advised Yadav on maintaining his bowling length, which ultimately led to his own dismissal.
After the match, Yadav shared insights with Star Sports, revealing that Kohli had suggested he should stick to his length as long as the ball was moving. Following this advice proved pivotal, as Yadav clean bowled Kohli. This marked a significant moment, as Yadav became only the second bowler after Dhawal Kulkarni to dismiss Kohli for a duck in the IPL, and the first in over 3300 days.
RCB's Struggles Continue
RCB Suffer Back-To-Back Defeats
RCB faced consecutive losses for the first time since 2024, while LSG broke a six-match losing streak and celebrated their first home victory after eight defeats. The match concluded dramatically, with rain interruptions reducing it to 19 overs.
In their chase of 213 runs, RCB quickly lost Jacob Bethell (4) and Kohli (0). However, Rajat Patidar (61 off 31) and Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 25) formed a solid 95-run partnership before the team lost three wickets in quick succession. Tim David (40 off 17) and Krunal Pandya (28 off 16) attempted to stabilize the innings with some aggressive batting.
Prince Yadav shone brightly, taking the crucial wickets of Kohli, Padikkal, and Jitesh Sharma, while Shahbaz Ahmed claimed the wickets of Patidar and David, who were pivotal in the chase. Yadav's bowling figures stood at 3-33 from four overs, and Shahbaz finished with 2-33 from three overs.
Mitchell Marsh celebrated his second IPL century, reaching the milestone in just 49 balls. Rishabh Pant contributed a quick 32 off 10 balls, and Nicholas Pooran added 33 runs off 28 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled economically with figures of 0-34, while Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, and Rasidk Salam Dar each took one wicket.