Lucknow Super Giants’ owner Sanjiv Goenka’s exuberant reaction went viral shortly after his side clinched a win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana Stadium. The moment matched the scale of what Lucknow achieved on the night—ending a long stretch of disappointment with a statement performance.
Key takeaways
- LSG broke their six-game losing run and also snapped a streak of eight straight defeats at home.
- It was Lucknow’s first home win in five matches this season, and their first-ever victory over RCB in Lucknow after dropping the previous two meetings at the venue.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered their first defeat while chasing in five attempts during the season.
- Mitchell Marsh delivered a match-winning 111 off 56 balls as LSG posted 209/3.
- RCB were ultimately beaten by nine runs in a rain-affected chase reduced to 19 overs, with Digvesh Rathi sealing the finish.
What the win changed for LSG and RCB
Lucknow’s success at the Ekana Stadium came with multiple turning points. The team finally registered their first successful defence after falling short of defending totals in each of their previous four attempts. The victory also ensured that RCB’s momentum while chasing was checked—Bengaluru had entered the game having lost just once while pursuing targets this season, but Lucknow ensured that record ended here.
After the match, Sanjiv Goenka was pictured celebrating with a joyful wave, clearly relishing the fact that Lucknow’s losing spell had come to an end in such a memorable fashion.
LSG’s IPL form: defending versus chasing
The season-wide numbers offer an important context to why this win felt so significant. In IPL matches where LSG bat first, they have played 38 games, winning 21 and losing 16, with one no result—translating to a win rate of 56.75%. When they bat second, the figures read 30 matches with 12 wins and 18 losses for a win rate of 40.0%.
Taken together, those statistics underline a pattern: Lucknow have generally looked more at ease setting targets than chasing them, which made their ability to hold their ground with the bat on the night even more meaningful.
Match summary: LSG outclass RCB in a rain-hit thriller
The defining storyline of the contest was Mitchell Marsh’s extraordinary hundred. He smashed 111 off 56 balls to drive Lucknow to 209/3. Marsh’s innings had the right balance of aggression and control, even with three rain interruptions disrupting the flow at different stages.
In one phase, Marsh added 95 runs with Arshin Kulkarni, showcasing momentum-building batting in the middle overs. Later, he combined with Nicholas Pooran to forge a 70-run partnership, with Pooran contributing 38. From the start, Marsh attacked the RCB bowling in an assertive manner, targeting bowlers including Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Dar, and he accelerated quickly to a half-century in just 20 balls.
RCB did show fight and tried to chase the target with intent, but they ultimately finished nine runs short against Lucknow Super Giants in a reduced contest. Bengaluru’s chase of 213 was adjusted to a 19-over game due to rain, and the early damage came quickly: Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck, while Jacob Bethell fell for just four.
Even with the early collapse, RCB kept themselves in the hunt through a series of cameos. Rajat Patidar struck 61 off 31 balls, while Tim David, Romario Shepherd, and Krunal Pandya added valuable runs to keep the required equation alive into the final overs. By the end, the chase demanded 20 runs off the last over.
That pressure was handled by Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant, who brought leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi into the attack. Rathi held his nerve to close out the match and seal the win for LSG. Pant also played his part at the end, finishing unbeaten on 32 from only 10 balls.
While the result may not immediately revive LSG’s playoff hopes, it did have a clear impact on the tournament picture—complicating RCB’s chances in the race for the top four and ensuring Bengaluru’s chase record took a hit.
