INDIA: In a nail-biting match at the Chinnaswamy stadium, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) emerged victorious over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by just one wicket off the final ball of the match.
The high-scoring game saw both teams swing back and forth before LSG clinched the win dramatically.
LSG Vs RCB
LSG skipper KL Rahul chose to bowl after winning the toss since chasing teams have prevailed historically.
However, RCB’s Virat Kohli took on the inexperienced LSG bowling attack in the powerplay, ending it at 56-0 with Avesh Khan and Jaydev Unadkat opening the bowling. For the following three overs, the spinners choked the run-flow before Kohli once more broke the chains.
After Kohli’s dismissal, Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis took on the leg-spinners, leading a counterattack on the LSG bowling attack. RCB set LSG a massive target of 213.
LSG’s powerplay did not go as planned, as Mohammad Siraj induced an inside edge from Kyle Mayers which knocked his stumps over. Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya edged the ball behind, losing their wickets in similar fashions.
Despite this, KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis kept turning the strike over before Stoinis led LSG’s counterattack. He got to his fifty with a massive six off Shahbaz Ahmed before ending the tenth over with another six.
Stoinis holed out to sweeper cover off Karn Sharma just as Rahul and Stoinis appeared to be on their way to helping LSG win the match. Stoinis was attempting to take too many sixes.
Soon after, KL Rahul quickly flicked to the deep square leg. LSG still had optimism with half the side back in the hut.
With a flurry of sixes, Nicholas Pooran transformed that faint optimism into a glimpse of victory, hitting 80 runs between overs 11 and 15. However, drama ensued when a just-below-waist-high full toss from Siraj dismissed Pooran.
In the final over of the chase, with one run to win, Against Wayne Parnell, Ayush Badoni executed one of the most brilliant scoop shots, taking a yorker on the full and putting it over fine leg for six.
Unfortunately, he brushed his stumps with the toe of the bat on his followthrough, resulting in a hit-wicket dismissal.
Harshal Patel attempted a run-out at the non-striker’s end off the final ball. However, he ultimately had to bowl the ball, which Avesh Khan missed, but LSG was able to sneak a bye to pull off a sensational heist at the Chinnaswamy despite entirely missing the stumps.
RCB will stay in Bangalore and face off against the Delhi Capitals on April 15, while LSG will fly back home to take on the Punjab Kings later the same day. Cricket fans will surely remember this match as one of the most thrilling in IPL history.
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