In a crucial IPL 2025 match, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 6 wickets, securing their place in Qualifier 1 of the playoffs. This thrilling encounter, played on Tuesday, May 27th, saw RCB's batting line-up set new records. Captain Jitesh Sharma's explosive innings played a significant role in securing the victory. This win not only secured RCB second place in the points table but also established a unique record in IPL history concerning away matches.
A Rain of Records: RCB Creates History
RCB set a new benchmark by winning all 7 of their away matches in the league stage. No team in IPL history had achieved this feat before.
Batting first, Lucknow posted 227 runs for 3 wickets, thanks to captain Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 118 runs (61 balls) and Mitchell Marsh's 67 runs (37 balls). Pant reached his century in just 54 balls. In reply, RCB started aggressively. Virat Kohli scored 54 runs off 30 balls, while captain Jitesh Sharma played a whirlwind unbeaten 85 runs off 33 balls. Mayank Agarwal also contributed significantly with 41 runs (23 balls). The duo added an unbeaten 107-run partnership for the fifth wicket, the highest for RCB at this position.
Major Records Set by RCB
- Third Time in Top 2: RCB finished in the top 2 of the league stage for the third time, after 2011 and 2016. Previously, the team had reached the final but missed out on the title.
- Wicket-keepers' Dominance: The wicketkeeper-batsmen from both teams (Rishabh Pant and Jitesh Sharma) collectively scored over 200 runs. This is only the second time in IPL history that two wicketkeeper-batsmen have achieved such a high combined score. Previously, KL Rahul and Sanju Samson achieved this feat in 2021.
- Highest Score at Number 6: Jitesh Sharma, batting at number 6, scored an unbeaten 85 runs off 33 balls, the highest score ever at this position in a successful run chase.
- Highest Fifth-Wicket Partnership: The 107* run partnership between Jitesh and Mayank is the highest fifth-wicket partnership for RCB. Previously, AB de Villiers and Iqbal Abdulla had added 91* runs in 2016.
- Excellent Middle-Order Performance: RCB's batsmen batting at number 5 or lower scored 5 50+ scores this season. This is the most by any team in an IPL season, and interestingly, all these scores were by different batsmen.
- Among the Highest Successful Run Chases: By achieving the 228-run target, RCB completed the third-highest successful run chase in IPL history.
- Most Expensive Bowling Spell: LSG bowler Will Orarke conceded 74 runs in 4 overs, the most expensive bowling spell in a run chase.
A Disappointing Season for LSG
Following this defeat against RCB, discussions are underway regarding LSG's weaknesses. In the 2022-23 season, LSG won 12 out of 15 matches batting first, while in the 2024-25 season, this number dropped to 8 wins and 10 losses.
All eyes are now on Qualifier 1 on May 30th, where RCB will face Punjab Kings. Will RCB be able to complete their unfinished title story this time?
