IPL 2025, LSG vs RCB Highlights: Stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma powers Royal Challengers Bengaluru to stunning win

Jitesh Sharma is writing his name into RCB folklore here. O'Rourke returns for the 18th over, Jitesh ramps the second ball over short third for four. Then he boshes the fourth ball over extra cover for another four. The fifth is flat-batted down the ground for an incredible six and then the last ball is blasted over midwicket for another six. 

Jitesh on 77 off 30, Agarwal on 40 off 22. 

RCB need just 7 to win off 12 chasing 228!

And well at the end of it all, it seems Rishabh Pant withdraws it! Yes, it is one of those, the bowler whipped off the bails just when he was loading up the delivery, Rathi then appeals for a runout against Jitesh. Replays showed that Jitesh was well outside his crease when the bails were whipped off but then the third umpire gives it as not out. Replays are then showed of Pant telling the umpire that he has withdrawn appeal and the on-air commentators say that this is the reason why the not out decision was shown on the big screen. The question remains, though, how did the third umpire show any decision at all if the fielding captain withdrew the appeal. 

Anyhow, it's pretty clear that Rathi doesn't really care about whether he is liked or not by anyone, which one might argue is just as well for a sportsperson. Agarwal takes a single last ball. 

RCB need 28 to win from 18. 

Wow how about it! Jitesh absolutely pulverises the free-hit delivery, it lands deep in the stands beyond midwicket. He moves to 55 off 22. An astonishing knock that has put RCB firmly in the driver's seat.  

RCB need 32 off 22! 

Oh how about it. Jitesh was seemingly caught at point off the first ball of the 17th over by Rathi, who went on to mimic writing a name on the ground. But replays showed that Badoni's catch was quite a close call, there was deliberation over whether it had bounced just before he caught it. Amid all that, went off that clarion for no ball. And to make it worse, it was a back-foot no ball. Jitesh Sharma was crouching in disappointment just a few seconds ago, now he gets ready to face a free-hit delivery on 49!

Jitesh Sharma one run away from an incredible half-century. This partnership between him and Agarwal has pulled the rug from under LSG's feet. A few states away, Gujarat Titans would also be feeling their chances of finishing in the top two fading. 

Jitesh on 49 off 20, Agarwal on 37 off 19. 

Oh what a knock this is turning out to be from Jitesh and all of a sudden, RCB's run rate has gone over the required rate! 

Shahbaz Ahmed comes in for the 15th over and Jitesh hits the first ball straight to deep cover, where the ball slips right through O'Rourke's hands and it goes over the boundary for four. That misfield is followed by an excellent piece of fielding by Bishnoi at deep backward square boundary to save two runs. Jitesh then smashes the third ball over cover for six. The fourth is swept away for four. A single next ball and then Agarwal sends the last past cover point for four. 

Jitesh on 39 off 15, Agarwal on 36 off 18, RCB need 51 to win from 30!

No hat-trick for O'Rourke as Jitesh takes a single first ball of that over. Then Agarwal mistimes a lofted shot over short third, the batters manage to squeeze three runs there though. Then Jitesh sends the third ball over long on for six. The fourth is reverse scooped between the wicketkeeper and short third man for a four. Then a real tight single, in fact it was a golden chance for a run out but Rathi fumbles before throwing the ball to O'Rourke, in which time the batters run to the other ends. Two runs off the last ball. 

Agarwal on 32 off 17, Jites on 22 off 10. 

10 runs and a huge wicket off that over from Avesh and then just seven runs off the next from Akash Singh. RCB's required rate has slipped up to 12.71 and they current rate has gone down to 10.69. They still have two extremely capable batters out there in Jitesh and Mayank Agarwal. 

Jitesh on 10 off six, Mayank on 27 off 15. Will O'Rourke returns at last to bowl his hat-trick ball. 

Avesh Khan with the all-important wicket. It's what happens in chases as steepm as these. 18 runs came in the 10th over but just 7 off the next and a single off the first ball of this 12th over. Kohli went for a big shot, ends up slicing it and long off takes the catch. 

Kohli c Badoni b Avesh Khan 54 (30)

Akash Singh bowls the 11th over, not O'Rourke. His first ball is sent through extra cover by Kohli and he gets to 52 in 27 balls with that. He raises his bat, he has that look in his eyes today. 

Fifth ball of the eighth over from O'Rourke is a slow one and Patidar sends it straight into the hands of the fielder at backward point. And then he bowls the last ball full to Livingstone, who moves across the stumps, misses it and takes it flush on his front foot. As plumb as they come, O'Rourke will be on a hat-trick when he starts his next over. 

RCB 90/3 in 8 overs

Rathi returns for the first over after powerplay. Rajat Patidar, RCB's impact sub captain, takes a single off the first ball, Kohli runs two off the second and another single for Kohli off the third. Patidar then gets an edge while trying to cut, goes through the vacant slip region and to the boundary for four. Two more singles to end the over. 

Kohli on 37 off 19, Patidar on seven off four. 

Akash Singh is the wicket-taker. Salt had almost been caught at cover previous ball, it went to the fielder on the bounce. This time, though, he puts it straight down that fielder's throat. 

Salt c Rathi b Akash Singh 30 (19)

Wow that is some start for RCB. Shahbaz Ahmed bowls the fourth over, cops a four off Salt second ball and last ball of the over. He finishes that on 26 off 13, Kohli on 23 off 11. RCB are going at 12.50 runs an over, their required rate is 11.12. It may still be too early but for what it's worth, RCB are very much on course. 

Virat Kohli has laid into Will O'Rourke here. 

The first ball is slapped through cover by Salt for four. He then takes a single and then O'Rourke goes too full and straight to Kohli. He flicks it, takes the pads and it goes to the boundary for four. Then Kohli flashes at the next ball, it takes the edge but flies over short third for four. The fifth ball is pulled past midwicket for a four. O'Rourke goes wide outside off sixth ball, he bowls it again and Kohli plays an even better pull shot through square for four. 

Kohli on 20 off eight, Salt on 10 off four. 

All right, here come Phil Salt and Virat Kohli. Salt facing up, Akash Singh bowling. RCB need to chase down a target of 228 to set up a date with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1. 

Rishabh Pant finishes unbeaten on 118 off 61 balls. An astonishing innings and at long last, we see Rishabh Pant in full flow in LSG colours. He has nearly doubled his total tally of runs for the season in this innings alone. Nicholas Pooran fell at fine leg to his West Indies teammate Romario Shepherd in the last over, although Yash Dayal did almost make a meal of that rather straightforward catch. 

He is in that zone now. Three singles off the first three balls of the 19th over by Dayal. Then Pant gets across and opens the face of the bat fourth ball to send the ball to the deep third boundary for four. Pant shapes up for the scoop last ball and then changes it to a pull behind square last second to get into the most unbelievable of shapes. And yet he nails it, the ball sails away for six. Then he goes for an actual reverse scoop but misses. 

Pant on 111 off 59, Pooran with the best seat in the house, on eight off seven. 

And he gets there with an incredible shot. AND FOLLOWS UP WITH AN INCREDIBLE CELEBRATION AS WELL! Bhuvneshwar bowls his last over in the 18th over. Pant top edges the second ball over the wicketkeeper for four. Two singles off the next two balls and then Pant lofts a full ball siwinging away over extra cover. He tumbles after that but the ball goes to the boundary for four anyway. A 54-ball century for Rishabh Pant and he marks it by doing a sommersault for a celebration. Late or not, this is a special knock and augurs well for India since Pant will be expected to play a big role in the five-match Test series in England later next month. 

A wicket at long, long last for RCB. The stand ended by Bhuvneshwar Kumar on 152 off 78 balls. Marsh had gone into kitchen sink mode. Blasted sixes off the first two balls of the 16th over by Bhuvi. The third ball is sent wide outside off, then Bhuvneshwar induces the outside edge and Jitesh completes the job. 

Marsh c Jitesh b Bhuvneshwar 67 (37)

Romario Shepherd returns for his third over and his first ball si wide outside off. Then Pant opens the face of the bat and slices the reloaded delivery for a six. Kohli then lets the ball through his hands and allows the batters to run a single, Marsh takes another off the fourth. Then pant slams the fifth down the ground for another six. 

He finishes the over on 83 off 45, Marsh on 55 off 34. 

Oh where has he been all season? Marsh takes a single after that six that took him past 50, then Pant slices the fourth ball past extra cover for four. Then there is that typical one-handed six from Pant, sent over wide long on. He takes a single last ball to finish the over on 70 off 41 balls, Marsh on 54 off 32. 

One of the more scruffy fifties that he has got but Mitch Marsh what a season he has had! Suyash returns for the 14th over and Marsh crashes the second ball over deep midwicket for a six to get to the mark. That is the sixth fifty of the season for him, seventh time he has crossed 50 this season. And he has brought it up in 31 balls. 

They have got one captain in the hut due to injury and now the stand-in captain is needing some attention from the RCB physio. His right leg is getting a stretch. It comes after a good first over from Krunal Pandya, just four runs in the 13th. But LSG are looking very good indeed at the moment. 

Pant on 59 off 38, Marsh on 47 off 29 balls. 

Dayal returns for the 11th over, Marsh sends the first ball past shirt third for a four. Dayal sends the second ball wide down the leg side and then five runs off the next four balls. Pant then flat-bats the last ball down the ground for four. 

Pant on 57 off 32, Marsh on 33 off 23. These two have put up 88 runs in 52 balls for the second wicket. 

And it has come in just 29 balls. 

Suyash returns for the 10th over and Pant greets him with a six down the ground. It went all the way despite not being a clean hit. He runs two off the third ball and then cuts the fourth straight at the deep backward point fielder. Only that Phil Salt there has had a mare there and he lets the ball right through to the boundary for a four. Then Pant pulls the fifth ball to the boundary for a four and that brings up his fifty. A dot ball to finish the over. 

Pant on 52 off 30, Marsh on 26 off 19. 

Just six runs in the eighth over by Suyash Sharma. RCB have done well to ensure that Pant and Marsh don't fly away in these middle overs thus far. However, LSG can't be too unhappy as they are still going at 9.25 runs an over. The momentum seems to be drifting RCB's way though. 

Pant on 34 off 21, Marsh on 19 off 16. 

Bhuvi returns for the seventh over, three singles off the first four balls and then Pant pulls a short one over deep midwicket for a six. Then Pant flicks a full toss last ball, Livingstone tries stopping it running in from deep square leg but it goes for four anyhow. 

Pant on 31 off 18, Marsh on 17 off 13. 

Nuwan Thushara bowls a third over in the powerplay and just seven off it for LSG. Mitchell Marsh is stuck somewhat, scoring just 15 in 11 balls. Rishabh Pant on 20 off 14, he has alsom struggled to get them away since that bumper over against Yash Dayal. 

Bhuvneshwar given the ball relatively late but he does the job anyhow. Marsh takes a single off the first ball, Pant misses a scoop shot after that and then the batters run a leg bye next ball. Marsh sends the fourth ball through cover but the batters get just two runs off it and then two dot balls to Marsh to finish the over. 

Marsh on 10 off eight, Pant on 19 off 10. 

Well he did give a glimpse of his usual self in the last match and it looks like Rishabh Pant is looking to make the most of that momentum. Yash Dayal bowls the fourth over. Pant and Marsh run a tight two off the first ball, with the latter struggling at the non-striker's end. Then Pant slog sweeps the second over square leg for a six. Two more runs next ball and then Pant seemingly deliberately outsid edged the fourth abll through the vacant third man area for four. He then biffs the last ball straight down the ground for four. 

Pant on 19 off 8, Marsh on seven off four. 

Matthew Breetzke completely undone by the late swing away. Thushara with a low full toss fourth ball of the third over, it is torpedoeing into middle stump for most of its trajectory before moving away ever so late. Breetzke completely squared up and his stumps take a beating. 

Breetzke b Thushara 14 (12)

Marsh and Breetzke run singles off the first two balls before the former gets a leading edge through third man for four. Big appeal for LBW next ball, umpire says no and Thushara convinces Jitesh to take DRS. A complete waste as there was a big inside edge, so big that ultra edge wasn't even needed. The batters ran a single and then a vicious outswinging yorker that beat Breetzke's outside edge. Thushara overpitches the last ball on Breetzke's pads and he flicks it through midwicket for four. 

All right then. The final match in the league stage of the 2025 IPL is underway! Mitchell Marsh is on strike and he has Matthew Breetzke at the other end in the absence of Aiden Markram. Nuwan Thushara with the new ball for RCB. 

Deep Dasgupta and Matthew Hayden were on pitch report duties today. This is what they had to say: "We are right in the center of the ground, so not much of a bias - 64m and 66m square boundaries, downtown is 74m. It's this mixed pitch right in the center which is Orissa black and Mumbai red. A beautiful wicket. Is it tacky? These dark patches that you see around, is there moisture in it? Well, I can assure you folks, there's no moisture in it but it is quite hard underneath. It's got a nice covering of grass. Is it a 200 wicket? I am not sure. The last time, it wasn't, it was a mid-160s-type wicket. I sense that the fast bowlers are going to bowl a lot of cutters into the wicket. Spinners this evening, I think it's going to turn and I am not sure about the bounce. we'll have to check that out as the innings progresses, might not be as some of the other blocks that we see here in Lucknow. These thick bunches of grass patches that we see, that might play a little differently."

RCB: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma

LSG: Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, William ORourke

Jitesh Sharma: "We will field first. Looks like a good wicket, we'll fancy to chase. Rajat Patidar is our impact player. Looking to win and make it into the top-2. Tim David misses out, Liam comes in, so does Thushara, he replaces Ngidi who left the team."

Rishabh Pant: "We don't mind batting or bowling first, we did show the glimpse of the potential in our last game, but every match is a learning curve, till the last ball is bowled, we will give our 100 percent. Few changes - Breetzke is in and Digvesh Rathi are back in."

Jitesh says that Rajat Patidar will be used as an Impact player when RCB bat. Tim David won't be playing today. 

Teams generally struggled to win at home, especially in the first half of the league stage, and RCB were probably the best examples of it. They won for the first time at home this season only after three attempts. Overall, RCB won two and lost three of their home games this season, with one match being washed out. So how in the world are they competing for the top two? Well that is because their form, away from home has been scintillating. In fact, if they win today, RCB could become the first team in IPL history to win seven away games in a season. 

If RCB win today, they face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1. That also means that one of the two teams that play the final this season is guaranteed to be a side that has never won the IPL. Both PBKS and RCB have been the butt of many a joke for their inability to win titles, particularly the latter due to the number of times they have fielder star-studded sides and come close to winning as well. PBKS, on the other hand, have rarely ever looked as complete as they have this season. Are we going to see something this eyar that we have never seen before? 

Digvesh Rathi missed the last game to a one-match suspension that he served thanks to his rather provocative "notebook" celebration. It irked Abhishek Sharma in LSG's match against SRH and led to the two players coming face to face after the latter was dismissed by Rathi. Umpire Michael Gough needed to separate the two. Rathi ended up being docked half of his match fees given a one-match suspension as it was the third time he had breached the league's code of conduct this season. 

RCB lost to SRH in their previous match, thus bringing an end to a winning streak that lasted four matches. The bigger cause of worry for them, though, was the in-form Tim David hurting himself while fielding. It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that he won't be playing today and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit in time for the playoffs. 

Lucknow Super Giants have scored the most number of runs against spin this season with 861 runs at a strike-rate of 158.33. And this charge has been powered by Nicholas Pooran, who has blasted 25 sixes against spinners this season, the most by some margin. Moreover, LSG have lost just just 18 wickets to spinners, which is the least for any team this season. 

Just how poor has Rishabh Pant been? Well, the numbers are enough to paint the picture. Pant has scored 151 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 107.09 and average of 13.72. The fact that this comes after two back to back seasons in which he finished with strike rates of over 150 makes this one even more jarring. Moreover, last season's IPL marked his comeback to top level cricket after he spent nearly two years recovering from a life-threatening car crash. 

Josh Hazlewood is back with RCB but it would be a bit of a surprise if they choose to play him today instead of keeping him fresh for the playoffs. If the Aussie is left out, it is quite likely that we will see Zimbabwean giant Blessing Muzarabani making his debut today. 

The Rishabh Pant we have seen this season, in which incidetally he plays as the most expensive IPL auction buy of all time, is less than a shadow of the swashbuckling batter we have become used to seeing. However, we did see a glimpse of his usual self LSG's previous match. Pant didn't have much to do and his innings was rightly overshadowed by the astonishing knocks put up by Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran. But then he did blast 16 runs in six balls, his short stay punctuated by two sixes. 

Rajat Patidar played RCB's previous match as an Impact Sub due to a finger injury. It remains to be seen whether RCB will risk playing him today. While a win or a loss could be the existence or non-existence of a second chance in the playoffs, the fact remains that RCB would not want their captain to be ruled out of them altogether if something untoward happens today. 

If RCB win today, they will face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on May 29, which is Thursday. If they lose, though, they stay third and will face the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator on Friday, with Gujarat Titans keeping their first qualifier spot by the barest of margins. Winners of the Eliminator face the losers of Qualifier 1 on Sunday in Qualifier 2 after which the final happens on Tuesday. 

• Matches played: 5
• LSG won: 2
• RCB won: 3
• Last result: LSG won by 28 runs (April, 2024)

Would you believe it? Virat Kohli has racked up a fifty in all but one of RCB's six away matches thus far! He missed out in the previous game after equalling his best Powerplay score of 42 against SRH. 

Kohli will still be in focus as he needs only 24 runs to complete 9000 runs for RCB tonight in Lucknow

Mitchell Marsh has been a standout opener in the IPL 2025 season, showcasing exceptional form inside the powerplay with an impressive average of 93.33 and a blistering strike-rate of 156.42. Marsh has been LSG's leading batter, accumulating a remarkable 560 runs this season. He has been dismissed only three times inside the powerplay across 12 innings.

This season, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has established itself as a formidable bowling unit during the powerplay, securing 21 wickets at an economy of 8.76 and an impressive strike-rate of 20.57.

A key contributor to RCB's bowling prowess has been Josh Hazlewood. In just 10 games, he has emerged as their leading wicket-taker with 18 dismissals at an outstanding average of 17.28 and a strike-rate of 12.28.

RCB Probable XII for tonight: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma(wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Blessing Muzarabani, Suyash Sharma

LSG Probable XII for tonight: Mitchell Marsh, Aryan Juyal, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(wk/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur/Akash Singh, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, William O’Rourke

Three weeks after his last appearance and his first since retiring from Test cricket 11 days prior, Virat Kohli showcased a batting style on Friday against SRH that he might have yearned for during his recent struggles in the longer format. Known for his often-criticized imperceptible back-foot play in Tests, Kohli immediately announced his return with a blazing cut shot off Pat Cummins's loose delivery, sending it to the backward point boundary on the very first ball of a challenging chase.

Kohli's evolving approach was further evident in the second over when he expertly tapped a delivery from left-armer Jaydev Unadkat through mid-off, demonstrating a newfound depth in his crease play. His movements—both back and forth, and across the crease—were noticeably more vigorous. He smothered pace with an unusual blend of balletic footwork and stinging dexterity, suggesting a significant shift in his technique. By the end of the Powerplay, Kohli had equaled his personal best share of runs in an IPL innings, contributing 42 runs from 22 deliveries to a 72-run partnership, overshadowing the returning Phil Salt who only found his rhythm later in the six-over period.

However, in a manner reminiscent of his final Test season, Kohli's innings ended abruptly in the seventh over. Attempting an exaggerated back-foot slice off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, he mistimed the shot, and the ball landed safely in Abhishek Sharma's hands at backward point, cutting short a promising display.

In IPL 2025, RCB has distinguished itself as a top batting team in away matches, boasting an impressive average of 46 and a strike-rate of 157.91. Virat Kohli has been a standout performer in these games, averaging 114.33 with five half-centuries. On the bowling front, Krunal Pandya has been the most effective bowler away from home, taking 11 wickets at an average of 16.54 and a strike-rate of 12. RCB will need all that and more to deliver tonight.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani

Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Mitchell Marsh, Aryan Juyal, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William ORourke, Akash Maharaj Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, David Miller, Arshin Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary

The chance to make the top 2 had seemingly slipped out of their hands but defeats for fellow Playoffs challengers GT and MI have put the ball back in RCB's court in the final league-stage game day in Lucknow. The venue handed them their first defeat away from home last week, but with Josh Hazlewood returning to the camp, Bengaluru will hope they can bounce back tonight.