Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs during their Tuesday encounter at the DY Patil Stadium. While RCB set a target of 182, LSG could only manage 163/8. Josh Hazlewood was the key man for RCB, dominating with the ball to take 4/25. Krunal Pandya provided the main resistance for LSG; after being pushed up the order, he fought hard for 42 runs, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to keep pace with him.
Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday. Chasing a target of 182, LSG was restricted to a total of 163/8. Josh Hazlewood starred with the ball for RCB and ended up with 4/25. Krunal Pandya who was promoted up the order produced a decent fight with the bat for LSG. Pandya scored a fighting 42-run but did not receive good support from other batters.
LSG started the match strongly after electing to bowl, with Dushmantha Chameera striking twice in the very first over—sending Virat Kohli back to the pavilion without scoring a single run. Glenn Maxwell tried to seize control of the match with some aggressive hitting, but his stay ended at 23 after a brilliant piece of fielding by Jason Holder.
Faf du Plessis shouldered the burden for RCB, playing a masterclass innings of 96 runs. He found a reliable partner in Shahbaz Ahmed (26), and together they stitched together a 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket. This late surge allowed RCB to recover from a disastrous start and post a solid score of 181/6.
LSG's pursuit of the target began poorly, with Josh Hazlewood striking early to dismiss Quinton de Kock (3) and Manish Pandey (6) in successive overs. Captain KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya attempted to rebuild the innings with a 31-run partnership for the third wicket, but Harshal Patel broke the stand by cleverly dismissing Rahul for 30.
A lack of meaningful partnerships plagued LSG as they lost wickets consistently throughout the chase. RCB's bowling attack remained disciplined and in control until the end. This victory propels RCB to second place in the standings with a total of 10 points.