Lucknow Super Giants kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a tense, rain-affected victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday, winning by nine runs under the DLS method. Mitchell Marsh drove the innings with a devastating century, while Prince Yadav’s incisive spell swung the contest as the match—stretched by three separate rain stoppages totaling close to an hour—was cut to 19 overs per side. The result ended LSG’s run of six straight defeats and also marked their first home triumph of the campaign.
Key takeaways
- LSG edged RCB by nine runs via the DLS system in a match reduced to 19 overs each because of rain.
- Mitchell Marsh struck 111 off 56 balls, powering Lucknow to 209 for 3 before further rain adjustments.
- Prince Yadav led the bowling with figures of 3 for 33 as RCB were restricted to 203 for 6.
- Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami made the early breakthrough in the opening over.
- The win ended Lucknow’s six-match losing streak and was their first victory at home this season.
Rain disrupts the contest, DLS shapes the finish
After RCB won the toss and invited LSG to bat, Marsh began with intent and played a ruthless innings that brought up his century. Yet repeated interruptions from rain kept interfering with rhythm, and Lucknow’s scoring was eventually capped at 209 for 3. Because one over was lost to the weather, the chase target was revised to 213.
Lucknow’s bowlers then tightened the screws to prevent the defending champions from chasing it down, holding their nerve to finish with RCB on 203 for 6. Prince’s spell was central to the pressure RCB faced during the run chase, and the final margin—nine runs—was confirmed through the DLS method after the shortened setup.
Shami strikes early, Prince removes Kohli
Mohammed Shami set the tone immediately, striking in the first over. He forced Jacob Bethell into an outside edge that resulted in an early dismissal for the opener, giving LSG a bright start.
Three balls later, Prince Yadav produced a moment of real quality to unsettle Virat Kohli. The 140 km/h delivery swung back into the batter, hitting Kohli on the middle and off stump. It was Kohli’s first duck in IPL action since April 2023, when he was dismissed on the first ball against Rajasthan Royals.
Prince described the mindset after the wicket, saying he had made a misfield on the first ball but understood he needed to move on quickly and stay focused. He also mentioned talking to Virat “bhaiya” after the previous match, recalling that the advice was to stick to the length as long as the ball was moving. Prince added that after losing six consecutive games, the side would continue putting in the work.
Padikkal and Patidar rebuild, then Prince and LSG strike again
With the scoreboard reading 9 for 2, Devdutt Padikkal (34) and captain Rajat Patidar (61) steadied the innings and put runs on the board with regular boundary bursts. Patidar then accelerated sharply, taking apart Digvesh Rathi and Mayank Yadav with a string of towering sixes.
The pair put together a 95-run partnership for the third wicket, during which Patidar’s attacking strokeplay briefly shifted momentum back toward RCB. Just as the chase appeared to be gathering steam, LSG captain Pant brought Prince back into the attack—and the decision paid off right away.
Prince struck in his first over, removing Padikkal off the opening ball with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort. He followed that up soon after by taking Jitesh Sharma. Patidar’s wicket came a few deliveries later as Aiden Markram completed a running catch, triggering a quick mini-collapse as RCB lost three wickets in a short span.
Tim David, Krunal Pandya (28 not out), and Romario Shepherd (23 not out) kept the chase alive with late hitting, but Digvesh held his nerve in the final over and successfully defended 20 runs to seal the result for Lucknow.
Marsh’s power-hitting lays the platform before rain interrupts again
Earlier, Marsh delivered a spell of controlled aggression and power-hitting. He and Arshin Kulkarni built a 95-run opening stand, giving LSG the explosive platform they needed. Marsh then added another 70 runs alongside Nicholas Pooran (38), taking Lucknow to a position where the innings looked set to run away.
Pant then finished the innings strongly, smashing 32 not out off just 10 deliveries to provide the late flourish.
Marsh looked dangerous from the first ball, repeatedly finding clean contact around the ground. His 56-ball knock featured nine fours and as many as nine sixes, with most of the maximums arriving during the Powerplay. With LSG’s playoff chances hanging by a thread, he came out with intensity and attacked RCB’s bowling without hesitation.
Josh Hazlewood was hit hard early: Marsh cleared the pacer’s head with two towering sixes, then added three more boundaries in Hazlewood’s next over. RCB introduced Rasikh Dar as early as the fifth over in an attempt to slow the scoring, but it barely stemmed the flow.
Marsh continued his assault, striking back-to-back sixes and then adding another boundary. He raced to his fastest IPL fifty, reaching the mark in just 20 balls, and dominated the chase as LSG surged to 95 for no loss in nine overs.
Momentum did dip briefly due to a 30-minute rain break. When play restarted, Krunal Pandya ended Kulkarni’s stay at the crease, bringing Pooran to the crease. Pooran wasted little time, striking Rasikh for back-to-back boundaries, while Marsh advanced to his century with consecutive fours.
Marsh then hit a thunderous six over cover point just as rain halted play for the third time. He was dropped by Devdutt Padikkal on 110 but could not capitalize fully, eventually falling to Hazlewood at deep point. After Marsh’s dismissal, Pant took over with four fours and two sixes, driving LSG toward a total that proved enough in the rain-adjusted finish.
