LSG vs RCB Highlights, IPL 2023: LSG 108 (19.5); RCB 126/9 (20) - Bangalore beats Lucknow by 18 runs

RCB did extremely well to defend the total as the LSG was shot out for 108 in chase of 127 with a ball remaining. The dot balls did create the pressure and on a slow, low block as Lucknow was nailed in with the nature of the track. Bangalore pocketed an important win going into the business end of the tournament and there were a lot of emotional scenes as the match ended.

Naveen-ul-Haq picks a couple off Hazlewood to kick off the final proceedings of the game and then executes an under-scoop to get a boundary. However, Hazlewood found an edge to remove Naveen as Rahul walks in. The skipper cannot run and the no-ball free hit doesn’t cost Bangalore anything.

Harshal Patel is back into the attack and this has been difficult on Mishra and Naveen given the fact that Rahul is on the sidelines with an injury. Lucknow needs 31 runs in 12 balls.

Siraj is into the attack and RCB is closing this match in a very good manner. Despite conceding a boundary, the bowler does well to bounce back but too much aggression cost Bangalore a wide and a no-ball review was upheld.

Hasaranga bowls a brilliant over and gives just a single as Mishra struggles to time the ball. KL Rahul is buckled up on the sidelines but Lucknow needs a slice of luck and courage to win this.

It’s the second run-out and the eighth wicket falls for Lucknow with Ravi Bishnoi walking off after failing to get the second run. Naveen-ul-Haq is the new batsman as Lucknow requires 49 runs in 30 balls.

Both Mishra and Bishnoi are playing for the net run-rate as neither batsman is going for the big shots with KL Rahul in the sheds. Lucknow needs to analyse and come out with a counter-attack plan to deny Bangalore a win at their home ground.

Kohli is actually rushing this game and has been the key for Bangalore in the ring and also in the deep. Mishra and Bishnoi are having a tough time in the middle.

Gowtham didn’t put in a dive and that has cost Lucknow the wicket and Bangalore is well on course to clinch this match. There is no sign of KL Rahul as Amit Mishra comes out to join Bishnoi.

Harshal Patel comes in as Impact Sub for Anuj Rawat. But Karn Sharma strikes and Stoinis falls after being handed a life in the previous delivery, missed by Karthik behind the stumps. Poor batting from Lucknow and they have been choked by spin in the run chase.

Stoinis and Gowtham will look to finish the innings with KL Rahul on the sidelines, as the skipper is in the dug-out swinging his bat in shadow practice. Gowtham, meanwhile, drilled Hasaranga for a maximum to get the equation almost run-a-ball.

A six over the deep square leg region and then a boundary to the third man region gives Lucknow a ray of hope as Gowtham has strolled out with determination. Karn purchases bounced and turn as RCB aims to make further inroads.

Krishnappa Gowtham joins Stoinis and this run chase looks well out of the reach of Lucknow. Hasaranga bowls an economical over and Bangalore will look to apply the pressure more.

Karn Sharma into the attack and Bangalore has won the PowerPlay by picking four wickets. They are further delighted with Lucknow imploding in a small run chase as Karn removed Pooran with Lomror taking a fine catch in the deep. Lucknow is in complete disarray in a small chase. Bangalore is well and truly on top.

Deepak Hooda falls and Lucknow seems to be in a free fall as Dinesh Karthik makes an excellent stumping and Hooda is stunned. Lucknow seemed to take the run chase very casually and Bangalore has stormed back into the match after picking four wickets inside the PowerPlay.

You just can’t keep Virat Kohli out of action as the former skipper takes a blinder at extra cover to pack off Badoni and Bangalore are all over Lucknow. The crowd loves it, the RCB fans are loving it and Kohli has injected a power shot with that catch. RCB is right back in this game but Lucknow will back Stoinis at home after the Australian drills Hazlewood over the bowler’s head for a maximum.

Glenn Maxwell into the attack and the spinner strikes as he removes Krunal Pandya who just chipped a length delivery straight down the throat of Kohli at long-off. LSG in trouble with Hooda joining Badoni.

Siraj steams in and Ayush Badoni along with Krunal are off the mark and Lucknow gets some momentum with Krunal smashing the fast bowler for a couple of boundaries to get the run chase going. A pull over the mid-wicket and then a shot over extra cover. Krunal made it three in a row to ease some nerves in the Lucknow camp.

Josh Hazlewood is into the attack and Virat Kohli is straight into the ears of the tall fast bowler. Bangalore has started well after picking a wicket and Hazlewood gives just a single. Top stuff.

Siraj strikes inside the PowerPlay and that’s not a start that Lucknow would have wanted. Mayers falls and that’s a huge setback for Lucknow as the batsman hits straight to the fielder at mid-on. Brilliant start from RCB. Krunal Pandya is the new batsman and the stand-in skipper is yet to get off the mark.

Ayush Badoni and Kyle Mayers are out in the middle and it will be Mohammed Siraj with the new ball. Lucknow will look to gun down this total quickly.

Naveen-ul-Haq takes two wickets in the final over and scoring boundaries have been an issue on this wicket. Naveen-ul-Haq picks three wickets and both Mishra and Bishnoi have also been in the wickets column. Over to the home side run chase.

Yash Thakur gives five from his second over and most importantly catches Dinesh Karthik short of his crease. Top over and Lucknow is in complete control to close out the innings.

Naveen-ul-Haq bowls a brilliant over and traps Lomror to further push Bangalore into trouble. A review wasted as the on-field decision stands. Lucknow is well and truly on top.

The 100 is up for Bangalore and Dinesh Karthik tees off to provide the much-needed impetus as he hammers Mishra over the deep mid-wicket for a maximum. Mishra however inflicted a breakthrough by removing du Plessis as Krunal Pandya took an excellent catch at cover. Bangalore in need of some solid overs at the death.

Naveen-ul-Haq continues and Karthik breaks the shackles with a pull to the deep mid-wicket boundary. The rain has stopped and it was just a passing shower with no overs lost.

A slight drizzle and rain has stopped play. The covers are on and it isn’t a heavy downpour. So we should have a resumption soon..

Amit Mishra strikes and that’s the end of Prabhudessai as Gowtham takes a well-judged catch diving forward. RCB in all sorts of trouble. Dinesh Karthik is the new man in. It’s been seven overs since a boundary has been scored! RCB’s intent is in question here.

Krunal Pandya, the stand-in skipper makes life more difficult for the RCB batsmen as the boundaries aren’t coming with Krunal purchasing turn and restricting the batsmen to only singles. Krunal finished with brilliant figures of 4-0-21-0.

Ravi Bishnoi strikes as Maxwell misses the reverse sweep and even a review couldn’t save the batsman. Lucknow packing a punch with the spinners and RCB’s batting has been out of sorts. Suyash Prabhudessai is in the middle and he gets off the mark with a top-edge with the ball evading Amit Mishra at short fine leg. Bishnoi finishes his spell without conceding a boundary. Top effort.

Anuj Rawat falls as Gowtham strikes with the batsman holing out to Mayers at deep mid-wicket. RCB struggling to score runs as Maxwell joins Faf du Plessis. This is superb from Lucknow as they have tied down the batsmen and the Bangalore batsmen have been left searching for runs.

Bishnoi continues to roll his arms with Lucknow persisting with spin. The current run-rate is hovering around 6.45 and Bangalore needs some big overs to up the ante. Another brilliant over from Bishnoi.

Anuj Rawat the left-handed batsman joins du Plessis as Krishnappa Gowtham comes into the attack. This is going to be all spinners, given how the surface has been laid in Lucknow. Top over from the spinner as he gives just three from his opening over.

Krunal Pandya has taken over the captaincy duties as Rahul continues to nurse his injury. Bishnoi strikes as he removes Kohli with a googly that turned much more than what Kohli anticipated and Pooran removes the bails in a flash. Lucknow with the breakthrough and that’s a brilliant one from the wrist spinner.

Yash Thakur into the attack and Virat Kohli breaks away from the shackles by scoring a boundary after 22 deliveries and the fifty is up for Bangalore. This is the eighth 50-plus partnership between Kohli and du Plessis this season. RCB hasn’t lost a wicket but it needs the momentum to post a big score.

More spin and it’s Amit Mishra into the attack after Krunal slipped in three quick overs along with an over from Bishnoi. The boundaries have dried up and just seven come from Mishra’s over.

Ravi Bishnoi into the attack and Lucknow continues to attack with spin. They have done a good job as RCB manages just 42 inside the PowerPlay. Lucknow will take that, except for the fact that it didn’t pick a wicket. Time for a breather and hope KL Rahul is alright as the skipper is in the sheds after injuring his hammy.

Krunal Pandya continues to bowl from the other end in search of wickets and the ball isn’t coming onto the bat, making strokeplay difficult for both the openers. Five singles from Krunal’s third over.

Naveen-ul-Haq replaces Stoinis and the running between the wickets between Kohli and du Plessis has been a lot of miscommunication with Lucknow missing out on a couple of run-out opportunities. Du Plessis rides on the pace of Naveen and drills the fast bowler over the long-off for the first maximum of the night. Kohli then advanced down the track, opened the face of his bat and ease through the backward point for a boundary.

KL Rahul has walked off the field with what seems to be a hamstring injury. The Lucknow skipper injured himself while trying to stop a boundary. Krunal Pandya continues and gives just four runs from his second over.

Marcus Stoinis into the attack and Du Plessis gets his wrists into play to get off the mark with a couple to the mid-wicket. Stoinis almost had Du Plessis as a top-edge fell short of Naveen at mid-on. Kohli then got a leading edge and the ball just evaded KL Rahul at cover region. The RCB skipper then drove Stoinis through the covers to end the over with a boundary.

Turn and bounce straightaway as Kohli gets surprised and gets a thick outside edge as the ball races away to the third-man boundary. Kohli opens his account an so does RCB and the outfield is extremely fast. Du Plessis is yet to open his account.

Right then Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis are out in the middle and it will be the spin of Krunal Pandya to begin proceedings on a track that promises to aid spin. Here we go!

Harshal Patel, Shahbaz, Vyshak, Bracewell and Sonu Yadav

Badoni, Daniel Sams, Avesh Khan, De Kock and Prerak Mankad

KL Rahul(c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran(w), Krishnappa Gowtham, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Amit Mishra, Yash Thakur

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(w), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

RCB wins toss, opts to bat first vs Lucknow; Faf du Plessis back as skipper

“The square boundaries - one side is 72 metres, the other side is 63 metres. Straight it is 78 metres. It is a black soil pitch, so the bounce is relatively low. May not be high-scoring”

Matches played: 3

Lucknow Super Giants won: 1

Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 2

Last result: Lucknow Super Giants won by one wicket (Bangalore; 2023)

Kyle Mayers, KL Rahul (c), Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Jaydev Unadkat, Mark Wood, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan

Virat Kohli (c), Faf du Plessis, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suyash Prabhudessai, David Willey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj

Wicketkeeper: Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul

Batters: Virat Kohli (c), Faf du Plessis, Kyle Mayers

All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga (vc), Krunal Pandya

Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Ravi BishnoiMark Wood

Virat Kohli(c), Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(w), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, Akash Deep, Karn Sharma, Finn Allen, Anuj Rawat, Michael Bracewell, Siddarth Kaul, Sonu Yadav, Manoj Bhandage, Wayne Parnell, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, Himanshu Sharma

KL Rahul(c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran(w), Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Quinton de Kock, Krishnappa Gowtham, Swapnil Singh, Prerak Mankad, Daniel Sams, Romario Shepherd, Arpit Guleria, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Karan Sharma