LSG vs RCB, IPL 2025 Highlights: Rishabh Pant withdraws 'Mankad' appeal, Jitesh Sharma guides Bengaluru to Qualifier 1

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Lucknow Super Giants to set up Qualifier 1 clash with Punjab Kings. (Photo: IPL)

LSG vs RCB, IPL 2025 Highlights: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came up with an incredible run chase to defeat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the last league match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.

RCB registered their highest run chase in IPL history as they chased down a 228-run target with 8 balls to spare and 6 wickets in hand to set up Qualifier 1 clash with Punjab Kings that will be played on May 29 in Chandigarh.

The Eliminator will be played between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians at the same venue on May 30.

Here are the five points that enabled RCB to storm into Qualifier 1:

Mitchell Marsh’s fiery start:

Opener Mitchell Marsh has been the highest run scorer for LSG in this edition of the IPL. And the Aussie continued his form against RCB as he went past 600 runs this season and reached his 7th fifty this season with a six off 31 balls.

Marsh smashed 5 sixes and 4 fours in his 37-ball 67 finishing the season as LSG’s highest run-scorer with 627 runs.

RCB vs LSG

Rishabh Pant finally comes good:

The most expensive player in the IPL 2025 mega auction, Rishabh Pant has had a horror season with the bat and as captain, has failed to inspire LSG to the playoffs.

But against RCB, with perhaps playing under no pressure, Pant came ahead of Nicholas Pooran and played his best knock of the season, smashing 18 runs off a Yash Dayal over and reaching his fifty off 29 deliveries.

Pant reached his second IPL hundred, the first of this season off 54 balls and celebrated the milestone with a somersault and smashed 8 sixes and 11 fours in his 118-run knock off 61 deliveries to power LSG to 227/3.

William ORourke’s double-wicket over:

RCB had got off to a fine start in pursuit of 228 with Philip Salt and Virat Kohli putting a 61-run opening stand, before Salt fell to Akash Maharaj Singh for 30.

But it was William ORourke who dismissed Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone off successive deliveries to dent the RCB run chase.

ORourke first had Patidar caught by Abdul Samad at backward point and then trapped the dangerous Livingstone plumb in front of the wicket for a first ball duck. It was the last ball of his over but strangely, Pant removed ORourke from the attack.

RCB vs LSG

Chase master Virat Kohli:

RCB batting mainstay Virat Kohli became the first batsman in IPL history to breach the 9000-run mark and reached his fifth fifty in a run chase this season off 27 balls with a cracking four through the covers off Akash Maharaj Singh.

Former RCB captain Kohli also became the only batsman to score more than 600 runs in an IPL edition five times. In this season, whenever Kohli hit a fifty in a run chase, RCB has gone on to win the match.

And Kohli fell soon after reaching his fifty as he mistimed a shot to give Ayush Badoni a simple catch at long-off off Avesh Khan after hitting 10 fours in his 30-ball 54.

RCB vs LSG

RCB’s match-winning stand and 'mankad' attempt by Rathi:

Mayank Agarwal and captain Jitesh Sharma kept RCB in the hunt and raced to a 50-run stand for the fifth wicket off just 21 deliveries.

Jitesh was on 49 in the 17th over when Digvesh Rathi had him caught by Badoni off a reverse sweep. The umpires asked Jitesh to wait as it was a low catch and suddenly the sire went off and the replays showed it was a backfoot no-ball by Rathi. Jitesh smashed the free hit next up for a six deep into the stands over mid-wicket to reach his maiden IPL fifty.

On the last ball of the same over, Rathi attempted to run out Jitesh at the non-striker’s end as he moved out of the crease before the ball was delivered. As Rathi stood by the appeal, Pant decided to withdraw it showcasing remarkable sportsman spirit and was even hugged by Jitesh.

Jitesh and Mayank put up an unbeaten 107-run stand with Jitesh leading from the front with an incredible unbeaten 85-run knock that came off 33 balls and was studded with 6 sixes and 8 fours. Mayank played an ideal foil to his captain with an unbeaten 41-run knock off 23 balls with the help of 5 fours to take their team to Qualifier 1.