Stand-in-captain Jitesh Sharma led from the front as his unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets to set up a date with Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 1 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday.
Chasing a mammoth 228, RCB were in a spot of bother at 123/4 in the 12th over when Jitesh paired up with Mayank Agarwal (41 not out, 23 balls). The duo shared an unbeaten 107-run stand for the fifth wicket to seal a spot in the top two after the league stage.
With this win, RCB finish second on 19 points, the same as table toppers Punjab Kings. Gujarat Titans dropped to third with 18 points followed by Mumbai Indians, who finished at 16 points in fourth spot. The last time RCB finished in the top two after the league stage was in 2016.
IPL 2025 playoffs schedule
Owing to their top two finish, Punjab Kings and RCB will play in the Qualifier 1 on May 29 while Mumbai Indians will take on Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator on May 30.
The winner of Qualifier 1 will directly qualify for the final on June 3. The winner of Eliminator will play the losing team from Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 on June 1 for a place in the summit clash.
Asked to bat first, LSG posted 227/3 riding on skipper Rishabh Pant’s 61-ball unbeaten 118 and Mitchell Marsh’s 37-ball 67. The LSG captain reached his century in just 54 balls. In reply, Virat Kohli (30-ball 54) and Phil Salt (19-ball 30) laid the foundation for Jitesh and Mayank to finish the game with eight balls to spare.
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
