In a thrilling encounter, Lucknow Super Giants’ emerging fast bowler, Mayank Yadav, stole the spotlight with a remarkable performance, orchestrating Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s downfall in their pursuit of 182 runs. LSG emerged victorious, clinching the contest by a margin of 28 runs.
The match commenced with LSG opting for spin from both ends, effectively containing the formidable duo of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis in the initial overs of RCB’s chase. Despite their efforts to stabilize, Kohli succumbed to M Siddharth’s delivery in the fifth over, while du Plessis fell victim to a run-out in the very first ball of the sixth over, bowled by the rapid Mayank Yadav. The young sensation continued to wreak havoc, dismissing Glenn Maxwell and disturbing Cameron Green’s stumps in a fiery spell. His dominance nearly secured a fourth wicket with Dinesh Karthik, but luck favored the batsman momentarily.
RCB’s hopes were briefly reignited by Mahipal Lomror’s aggressive onslaught, who blazed 33 runs off just 13 deliveries. However, his departure at the hands of Yash Thakur in the 18th over signaled the end of RCB’s chase.
Earlier, LSG had asserted dominance over RCB’s bowlers for a major portion of their innings. Quinton de Kock’s splendid knock of 81 runs off 56 balls spearheaded their charge, albeit his dismissal by Reece Topley in the 17th over led to a temporary slowdown in LSG’s scoring rate. Nicholas Pooran’s late fireworks, culminating in an unbeaten 40 off 21 deliveries, propelled LSG to a competitive total of 181/5 in their allotted 20 overs.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, RCB’s decision to omit Vyshak Vijaykumar from the lineup surprised many observers, but the team management stood by their strategic choice throughout the match.
