RCB beat LSG by 5 wickets as Hazlewood stars

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Lucknow Super Giants by 5 wickets with 29 balls remaining in Match 23 of the Indian Premier League, with Josh Hazlewood setting the tone in a disciplined bowling effort that helped restrict LSG to 146 before Virat Kohli’s 49 and a burst of late hitting sealed a comfortable chase.

The result continued RCB’s strong early-season push after wins in Match 1, Match 11 and Match 20, while Lucknow slipped after having earlier won Match 10 and Match 15. In the wider IPL schedule, this was Match 23 of 70, so the tournament race remains wide open rather than decided, with plenty still to come across the league phase.

LSG’s innings never quite settled despite a few useful contributions. Mitchell Marsh, already one of the tournament’s most prolific batters, made 40 from 32 balls and gave the innings early direction, while Ayush Badoni struck 38 from 24 to inject tempo through the middle overs. Mukul Choudhary then added 39 from 28 and helped Lucknow push towards something more respectable after a stuttering start.

But RCB’s attack kept finding key dismissals. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was excellent with 3 for 27 from his four overs, removing top-order batters and ensuring Lucknow could not build sustained momentum. Rasikh Salam delivered the most damaging spell, claiming 4 for 24 in four overs and slicing through the lower middle order. Hazlewood, named Player of the Match, returned 1 for 20 in four overs and conceded at just five an over, a spell that applied pressure even beyond his wicket tally.

The biggest damage to LSG came through the collapse of their star names. Aiden Markram made 12 from 8, but Rishabh Pant managed just 1 from 6 and Nicholas Pooran 1 from 7. Abdul Samad fell for 0, Mohammed Shami made 0, and Digvesh Rathi also departed without scoring. Those wickets turned what might have become a 165-plus total into 146 all out in 20 overs.

RCB’s reply was brisk and mostly controlled. Phil Salt fell early for 7 from 8, but Kohli once again anchored the chase with 49 from 34 balls, striking six fours and a six. Devdutt Padikkal’s 10 from 11 was brief, yet Rajat Patidar changed the tempo sharply with 27 from just 13 deliveries, including three sixes, giving RCB command of the required rate.

Once Patidar had broken the back of the chase, Jitesh Sharma produced the decisive surge. His 23 from only 9 balls, featuring two fours and two sixes, ensured there would be no late twist. Tim David added 14 from 8 and Romario Shepherd finished unbeaten on 14 from 8 as RCB surged to 149 for 5 in just 15.1 overs.

Lucknow did pick up wickets through Prince Yadav, who took 3 for 32 in three overs, and Avesh Khan, who returned 2 for 23 in four. But the pressure never fully transferred back onto the chasing side. Digvesh Rathi’s four overs cost 51 runs, and RCB capitalised ruthlessly once they were set.

This was a chase built on layers rather than one overwhelming partnership: Kohli’s control at the top, Patidar’s intent in the middle, and Jitesh, David and Shepherd finishing the job with authority. The match-turning moments, though, had come earlier when RCB’s bowlers removed Pant and Pooran cheaply and then prevented Marsh, Badoni and Mukul from launching a decisive final-over assault.

Key performers

• Josh Hazlewood (RCB): 1/20 in 4 overs, Player of the Match
• Rasikh Salam (RCB): 4/24 in 4 overs
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB): 3/27 in 4 overs
• Virat Kohli (RCB): 49 off 34 balls
• Mitchell Marsh (LSG): 40 off 32 balls
• Mukul Choudhary (LSG): 39 off 28 balls
• Ayush Badoni (LSG): 38 off 24 balls

NerdSports Stat: RCB chased 149 in 15.1 overs despite only one fifty-plus stand not being needed at all — their Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 all scored at strike rates above 144, turning a middling target into a sprint.

For RCB, the win keeps their momentum rolling before their next assignment against Delhi Capitals on Saturday, April 18. Lucknow, meanwhile, will look to regroup before meeting Punjab Kings on Sunday, April 19. With Match 23 now complete, the IPL league stage continues on Thursday, April 16, when Mumbai Indians face Punjab Kings.

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