IPL 2023, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Faf du Plessis-Virat Kohli's 62-run stand, Ravi Bishnoi's 2-21, Karn Sharma-Wanindu Hasaranga's combined 3-40 are top performances. RCB beat LSG and move to 5th place in points table.
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 126-9 (Du Plessis 44, Kohli 31, Naveen 3-30, Bishnoi 2-21) beat Lucknow Super Giants 108-10 (Krishnappa 23, Amit 19, Karn 2-20, Josh 2-15) by 18 runs.
Player of the Match: Faf du Plessis (44 runs)
The 43rd match of the TATA IPL edition got underway on May 1 as the Lucknow Super Giants hosted Royal Challengers Bangalore at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The two sides faced each other previously this season which saw LSG clinch a narrow one-wicket victory amidst intense final over drama. But this time around, RCB had the last laugh as they clinched a clinical victory by a margin of 18 runs.
Lucknow suffers a heartbreaking loss to RCB in a thrilling match
After electing to bat first, RCB got off to a relatively subdued start as the pitch seemed to be a bit on the slower side. In an unfortunate turn of events, LSG lost their skipper KL Rahul for a moment whilst he was trying to chase the ball in the cover region. Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi kept it nice and straight keeping the scoring rate well under check during the power play overs. With LSG spinners getting a fair amount of help from the track, RCB batters could not play the big shots and kept chipping away wickets. And by the 16th, the rain gods unleashed their wrath and the game was interrupted due to rain. The play eventually resumed at 9:15 PM and with good tight bowling by Naveen Ul Haq at the death, RCB were restricted to 126/9.
In reply, LSG got off to the worst possible start as Mayers perished without a single run on the board. Soon after they lost their second and third wicket inside 4 overs reducing them to 21-3. With pressure gradually building, LSG desperately needed partnerships. However, things did not plan out well for them as they reeled at 34-4 at the end of the powerplay. An over later, RCB was rewarded with a prize wicket of Pooran who departed inflicting no major damage. Krishnappa Gowtham and Marcus Stoinis later got into the rescue act and stitched a vital 27-run partnership for the 6th wicket-taking to revive the LSG innings. But Stoinis’s dismissal marked the beginning of LSG’s demise and with no frontline batter left, LSG was soon bundled out for 108.
Talking Point: Lucknow couldn't hold the fort against spin.
RCB took to the field realizing that they have not put enough runs on the board. With a modest total to chase, this should have been an easy ask. But that was not the case. The RCB bowlers got their channel spot on from ball number one and it was the seamers who provided the early breakthroughs sending Meyers and Badoni back into the hut in quick succession.
The spin trio of Karn Sharma, Hasaranga, and Maxwell did the trick as they shared 4 wickets between them and squeezed the life out of LSG batters during middle overs whilst going at just around 5 RPO. Besides, KL Rahul’s injury also did not help LSG’s cause as he was sent late down the order to chase too much in the final overs. Shockingly enough, there were no 30-plus scores recorded by the top 3 batters as the lower order Krishnappa Gowtham became the highest run scorer for his side followed by Amit Mishra.
Top performances from LSG vs RCB
Ravi Bishnoi’s 2-21 ruins RCB’s plan to bat first
Ravi Bishnoi emerged as the pick of the bowlers for LSG as he returned impressive figures of 2-21 in his allotted 4 overs. He bowled immaculately and picked up two prize wickets from Maxwell and Kohli without conceding a single boundary or an extra. His flight and guile greatly troubled RCB batters and could not cope with his flighted top spinners and crafty wrong-uns.
Hasaranga and Karn Sharma’s 3-40 flattens LSG
Wanindu Hasaranga bowled a tidy spell of 1-20 in his allotted 4 overs and only conceded only a six and a boundary a piece. He picked up the timely wicket of Hooda with a well-disguised googly outside off stump. Karn Sharma also returned nearly identical figures of 2-20 in his allotted 4 overs as the duo shared a staggering 26 dot balls between them which helped to build significant pressure on the LSG batters. In the end, the ask was a lot and LSG eventually succumbed to RCB in their backyard.
Read More: IPL 2023, RCB vs KKR: Varun, Suyash shine as KKR thrash RCB twice in season; RCB at 4th place
Kohli & Du Plessis’s impressive 62-run stand
The RCB opening pair have put up some impressive partnerships driving them to some famous victories occasionally. The duo registered a 62-run stand for the first wicket which came at a sluggish pace of 54 deliveries. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis had to bat under tricky conditions where the ball was turning sideways and wasn’t coming onto the bat. They were forced to toil hard for their runs as they only shared 5 boundaries between them but ensured that they did the bulk of the batting and get their side to a face-saving 1st innings score.
Points Table Scenario and What’s Next
Following their win in today’s fixture, RCB have marched to the number 5 spot whilst their NRR has marginally improved to -0.030. They will head to Delhi to face DC in their upcoming fixture on May 6. Whereas, LSG have thoroughly been decimated at home after today’s fixture and have slipped to the number 3 position whilst their NRR has substantially degraded to 0.639. They will now host CSK in their next encounter on May 3.
IPL 2023 Points Table
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