IPL 2023: Lucknow beat RCB After Pooran's Pyrotechnics, Final Over Theatrics

IPL 2023: Lucknow Super Giants beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 1 wicket in a last-ball thriller.

(Photo: BCCI)

tA last-ball thriller helped Lucknow Super Giants pull off a heist at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 1 wicket on Monday night.

Half centuries from Bangalore's top three saw the team post 212/2 in their 20 overs and for 10 overs of the chase as well, Faf du Plessis's men looked in control of the proceedings.

While Marcus Stoinis scored a useful half century and got Lucknow to 105/4 in 11 overs, it was Nicolas Pooran who switched gears for Lucknow and truly lit up the chase, scoring the fastest half-century of the season, off 15 deliveries. From needing 122 from the last 10 overs,  Lucknow then needed 42 off the last 5.

Mohammed Siraj though made Pooran his third wicket of the night and when he walked back to the hut, 24 more were needed off the last 18 deliveries, with four wickets in hand. Three more wickets fell, a Super Over loomed and there was an attempted run out on the non-striker's end, however, in the end, Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi managed to get a bye off the last ball to get Lucknow past the finish line.

With their third win of the season, from four matches, Lucknow now occupy the top spot in the IPL standings.

Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore' top three batters Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell slammed contrasting fifties to power their side to a mammoth 212/2.

Kohli was at his aggressive best in attacking pacers in the powerplay, while making 61 off 44 balls. On the other hand, Du Plessis was at 33 off 31 balls and looked scratchy but he found his timing to be unbeaten on 79 from 46 deliveries while Maxwell smacked 59 off just 29 balls as the crowd was treated to some scintillating strokeplay.

Kohli got his first boundary with a not-so-convincing shot -- getting a fat top-edge on a pull off Avesh Khan in the second over. When Avesh gave width on the very next ball, Kohli drove him authoritatively through extra cover for four.

Kohli further attacked Avesh in his second over through a brace of crisp drives on the up through cover, with the timing and placement being exquisite. Deep in his crease, he welcomed Krunal Pandya with a delightful loft for six over long-on.

Mark Wood's extra pace didn't trouble Kohli at all as he brought out the drive over the bowler's head for four and on the next ball, he rocked back to pull over midwicket for six. But with the spinners tying them down with control, Kohli took time to reach his fifty in 35 balls.

He broke the shackles by pulling Krunal over mid-wicket for six, but holed out to deep mid-wicket off Amit Mishra in the 12th over. By then, du Plessis had hit three fours and with Glenn Maxwell coming in, Bangalore were in danger of losing momentum.

Maxwell laid the foundation for the acceleration with a beautiful inside-out slash over cover for four and followed it up with a loft over long-on for six off Mishra. Du Plessis took a brace of sixes off Bishnoi in the 15th over -- with the second of it being a monstrous 115-m hit going above the roof of the stadium. Maxwell closed the over with another six slammed down the ground.

A chipped loft over long-off for six off Wood brought du Plessis' fifty in 35 balls. Maxwell welcomed Avesh in the 17th over with a hoick over square leg for six, before slicing him over extra cover for four.

The duo then teared into Unadkat in the 18th over -- Maxwell sliced through third man for four and earned a reprieve when Krunal dropped his catch on the very next ball. Du Plessis slammed consecutive sixes over the leg side, before ending the over with a sliced four through backward point.

Maxwell brought up his fifty in 24 balls with back-to-back sixes off Avesh in the 19th over -- second of which was the shot of the night -- opening the bat face late to glide over deep point. After the second-wicket stand completed its century in just 44 balls, du Plessis slammed Avesh through extra cover for four.

Maxwell pulled Wood over deep backward square leg for six in the final over, before the pace bounced back by uprooting the batter's leg-stump with a 150kph scorcher, as Bangalore fetched a whopping 108 runs in the last seven overs.

Lucknow Super Giants celebrate the win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on the 2nd April 2023

(Photo: BCCI)

Lucknow's Chase

Mohammed Siraj gave Bangalore an ideal start as Kyle Mayers chopped on to his stumps. Wayne Parnell dealt double blows to Lucknow in the fourth over, having Deepak Hooda nick behind a cutter to Dinesh Karthik and then forcing Krunal Pandya to edge off an outswinger to the keeper.

After ending the power-play at 37/3, Stoinis began his onslaught in the eighth over by flicking off the pads for six off Harshal Patel, then slashed through point and smacked a straight drive down the ground for back-to-back fours.

Stoinis welcomed Karn Sharma with a pulled six over deep mid-wicket and struck a brace of fours, before bringing a lofted driven six over long-off against Shahbaz Ahmed to get his fifty in 25 balls. Stoinis hit a six each off Karn and Shahbaz, before slicing to deep point off the former.

Rahul never got going in his 18 off 20 balls and flicked straight to deep square leg off Siraj in the 12th over. Pooran began his blitz with a classic square cut off Siraj, with Ayush Badoni taking a four too off him. While Badoni flicked Karn off his legs for four, Pooran upped the ante with successive sixes.

Pooran teared into Harshal by slamming pulled sixes over fine leg and deep backward square, apart from a four cut through short third man. Parnell came under attack from Pooran, with the left-hander slicing him twice for fours apart from a six whacked over long-on which got him his fifty in just 15 balls.

Badoni was lucky in an outside edge flying over short third man for four off Willey while Pooran ended the 16th over with a magnificent swing over deep square leg for six. Pooran's blitzkrieg came to an end in the 17th over when he picked out the deep backward square leg off a full toss from Siraj.

Jaydev Unadkat guided a yorker past keeper for four off Harshal while Badoni pulled Parnell for another boundary. Badoni moved across to scoop a six off Parnell, but his bat crashed into the stumps to be out hit-wicket.

As Bangalore fielded four fielders outside the circle in the final over due to over rate penalty, Harshal added more drama by castling Mark Wood and had Unadkat holing out to a juggling long-on.

After Harshal's attempt to run out Ravi Bishnoi and later running him out wasn't successful, a fumble from Karthik behind allowed Bishnoi and Avesh Khan to go for a leg-bye, taking Lucknow to a thrilling victory.

(With inputs from IANS)