New Delhi: Jitesh Sharma turned out to be the hero as the stand-in skipper played an outrageous knock of unbeaten 85 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets in their final game of the season to book a spot in the top two in the Indian Premeir League (IPL) 2025. RCB pulled off their highest run-chase in IPL history after nailing down the massive target of 228 runs to finish 2nd on the IPL 2025 points table with 19 points after 14 matches.
Jitesh batted like a man possessed as he single-handedly took the LSG bowling attack down en route to his 85 off just 33 balls laced with six sixes and 8 fours. The wicket-keeper batter notched up his maiden half-century of the season just when his team needed him to step up under pressure and delivered a chase masterclass to power RCB into Qualifier 1.
Rishabh Pant’s scintillating century went in vain as Jitesh outshone the LSG skipper with his stupendous effort in RCB’s chase. Virat Kohli slammed a crucial knock of 30-ball 54 while Mayank Agarwal scored an unbeaten 41 to play their part in RCB’s thrilling victory in the high-scoring affair at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
In pursuit of the challenging 228-run target, RCB got off to a strong start with Kohli and Phil Salt dominating in the Powerplay to add 61 runs for the first wicket. Kohli shared another 29-run stand with Rajat Patidar, who was dismissed cheaply on 14, before RCB lost Liam Livingstone on a duck in the 8th over as LSG looked well in control.
Kohli was looking in great touch, but was caught by Ayush Badoni off the bowling off Avesh Khan in the 12th over as he failed to convert his fifty into a big knock—nonetheless, Jitesh, who walked out at no.6 after Kohli’s dismissal, ensured RCB’s momentum was not lost as he went on to play a blinder. Jitesh combined with Mayank to take RCB over the line comfortably in the chase.
Jitesh and Mayank shared an unbeaten stand of 107 runs for the fifth wicket to bat LSG out of the game. Pant and LSG bowlers appeared clueless as Jitesh launched a brutal onslaught, smashing everything out of his sight. The RCB stand-in skipper was dismissed by LSG spinner Digvesh Rathi in the 16th over, but it turned out to be a no ball, giving the RCB batter a repreive before Pant withdarw a Mankad appeal against him.
Jitesh Sharma’s whirlwind knock of unbeaten 85 helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Lucknow Super Giants in their final game of the IPL 2025 season to book a spot in the top two and book a spot in the Qualifier 1. RCB finished the season 2nd with 19 points after 14 matches. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
