Virat Kohli anchored Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful chase as they defeated Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in an IPL contest on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 147, RCB built the innings steadily before sealing the win and climbing to the summit of the table.
RCB’s chase and Kohli’s dismissal
- RCB went out to chase 147 and Kohli started with purpose, scoring 49 runs off 34 balls.
- During his knock, Kohli struck six fours and one six, keeping the momentum with the bat.
- He appeared on course to reach his 66th IPL half-century, but fell short of the milestone when he was dismissed for 49.
- Kohli was caught by Nicholas Pooran off Avesh Khan while trying to hit in the air towards long-on.
- Anushka Sharma, present at the stadium, reacted visibly to Kohli’s early departure.
This dismissal marked the first occasion in Kohli’s IPL career where he was out on exactly 49. Even without converting the start into a fifty, he still extended his Orange Cap lead, taking his tournament tally to 228 runs so far.
RCB’s bowling: Rasikh leads the way
Earlier, RCB’s bowling unit restricted LSG to a score of 146, which turned out to be their lowest total of the season. Fast bowler Rasikh Salam Dar spearheaded the effort with figures of 4/24. Bhuvneshwar Kumar added 3/27, while Krunal Pandya contributed 2/38. Josh Hazlewood also picked up a wicket, finishing with one strike.
LSG’s batting highlights
With the bat, Mitchell Marsh top-scored for LSG, making 40 off 32 balls. Ayush Badoni provided another key contribution, scoring 38 off 24 as the innings ended with LSG all out for 146.
How RCB finished the target
- After Kohli’s dismissal, Rajat Patidar struck quickly with 27 runs.
- Jitesh Sharma added further acceleration, contributing 23.
- RCB ultimately reached 149 for 5 in 15.1 overs to secure the win.
Wickets for LSG
For Lucknow, Prince Yadav took 3/32 and Avesh Khan claimed 2/23 as they shared the wickets during RCB’s chase.
Table impact
With the victory, the defending champions moved to the top of the standings, collecting eight points from five matches. Lucknow, meanwhile, slipped to seventh place with four points from four outings.
