LSG realise pipe dream to go top of the table

 

It's been a while since the Chinnaswamy stadium produced a humdinger of epic proportions, but time and a life-changing pandemic haven't changed the Chinnaswamy's tryst with cliffhangers. The Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants played out an absolute thriller that saw the visitors come out on top off the final ball. In a high-scoring game that swung both ways, LSG emerged victorious by one wicket off the final ball.

Kohli leverages the license to kill

LSG skipper KL Rahul won the toss and opted to bowl, citing history of chasing sides winning as the reason behind the decision, in addition to a road of a pitch at the Chinnaswamy. With Avesh Khan and Jaydev Unadkat opening the bowling, Kohli took on the inexperienced attack straightaway in the powerplay, forcing Rahul to bring on Wood in the 6th over. This proved to be counterproductive, as Kohli hammered him for a boundary over his head, and a six over cow corner, to end the powerplay at 56-0. The spinners strangled the run-flow for the next three overs before Kohli broke the shackles again with a 13-run over off Krunal Pandya.


Maxwell, Faf massacre indiscriminately after Kohli wicket

After Amit Mishra got the prize wicket of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis first took on the leg-spinners, with the latter hammering Bishnoi for 20 runs off an over, which included the longest six of the 2023 IPL (115 meters). This triggered an all-out assault on the LSG bowling, with even pace spearhead Mark Wood being on the receiving end of a few lusty sixes. Maxwell eventually fell off the penultimate ball, but the damage was done by then, with RCB setting LSG a massive 213.

Mayers probably got LSG off to a flier, right?...not quite.

The in-form Kyle Mayers was knocked over by Mohammad Siraj, before Wayne Parnell had Hooda and Krunal Pandya edging behind in the same over, resulting in three wickets in the powerplay. It looked like RCB were bowling on an entirely different pitch. Ergo, the powerplay didn't go quite as LSG had planned -- not to mention KL Rahul, who watched the chaos unfold from the other end, and continued to struggle for fluency.

Stoinis, Rahul rebuild for LSG

The format doesn't exactly accommodate rebuilding, but KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis kept turning the strike over, before the latter took on Harshal Patel clubbing 17 runs off his first over. Stoinis then led LSG's counterattack, and continued to take the bowling apart, while KL Rahul struggled, with the focus on keeping wickets in hand after the early blows. The Aussie recruit got to his fifty with a massive six off Shahbaz Ahmed, getting to the milestone off just 25 balls, before ending the 10th over with another six.

The LSG bubble burst

Just when Rahul and Stoinis were looking like they might run away with it, Stoinis holed out to sweeper cover off Karn Sharma, trying to go for one too many sixes. KL Rahul followed soon after, flicking on straight to deep square leg, in a desperate bid to up the ante. With Pooran and Badoni in, there was still a glimmer of hope, despite half the side back in the hut.

Did you think Rinku Singh was the last miracle of the IPL?...

You've got another think coming. Nicholas Pooran turned that glimmer of hope into a beaming ray of sunshine, with a flurry of sixes, as LSG scored 80 runs between overs 11 and 15. And just when one thought it would be a walk in the park, drama ensued. Pooran was dismissed by a just-below-waist-high ball by Siraj, bringing in Unadkat and the rest of the tail, once again turning the match on its head.

The dramatic final act

This is not an overstatement. Ayush Badoni played one of the most skillful scoop shots against Wayne Parnell, taking a yorker on the full and depositing it over fine leg for six -- a shot that would've made it "Scores level", only he managed to brush his stumps with the toe of the bat on his followthrough, resulting in a hit wicket dismissal! And off the final ball of the chase with one run to win, Harshal Patel attempted a "run out at the non-striker's end" but missed the stumps completely, eventually being forced to bowl the ball -- which Avesh Khan missed, but LSG managed to sneak a bye to pull off a stunning heist at the Chinnaswamy.

What's next for the two teams?

The Royal Challengers Bangalore will stay in Bangalore and face off against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday (April 15), whereas Lucknow Super Giants fly back home to take on the Punjab Kings later the very same day.

Brief Scores:Lucknow Super Giants 213-9 in 20 overs(Marcus Stoinis 65, Nicolas Pooran 62, Mohammad Siraj 3-22) beat Royal Challengers Banaglore 211-2(Faf du Plessis 79*, Virat Kohli 61, Glenn Maxwell 59, Amit Mishra 1-18)by 1 wicket