Lucknow Super Giants kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling nine-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-interrupted Match 50 of TATA IPL 2026, defending 209 in a 19-overs-per-side contest at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first, but LSG’s openers came out with intent straightaway. After a quiet first over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar that yielded only five runs, Mitchell Marsh shifted gears dramatically against fellow Australian Josh Hazlewood, smashing him for two towering straight sixes.

From there on, Marsh almost single-handedly drove the innings forward. At the end of the powerplay, LSG were 68/0, with Marsh accounting for a staggering 58 off just 24 balls. At the other end, 21-year-old Arshin Kulkarni played the supporting role, crawling to eight off 12 deliveries at that stage.

Rain interruptions repeatedly halted the momentum of the innings, eventually reducing the match to 19 overs a side. But Marsh remained unfazed. Even with the stop-start nature of the innings, he continued his assault seamlessly.

The opening stand was finally broken in the 10th over when Kulkarni fell to Krunal Pandya for 17 off 24 balls. But if RCB hoped for respite, Nicholas Pooran ensured otherwise. The left-hander immediately got into rhythm, and alongside Marsh, added a blistering 70-run stand off just 41 balls for the second wicket.

Marsh brought up a sensational hundred in the 14th over with back-to-back boundaries, reaching the milestone in only 49 balls. His innings formed the backbone of LSG’s batting effort before he eventually departed in the 17th over.

Crunched, clobbered, Celebrations 💯

🎥 Mitchell Marsh brings up a 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆 in some style 🔥🫡

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That dismissal only opened the door for Rishabh Pant to launch a late assault. The LSG skipper smashed an unbeaten 32 off just 10 balls, providing the finishing flourish as the visitors raced to 209/3 in their allotted 19 overs.

Rishabh Pant written all over that shot 🤌

🎥 Absolutely brilliant from the @LucknowIPL captain to end the innings in his trademark style 🔥

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/W0eDq9aWb7#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #LSGvRCB | @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/zGseikac5e

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In response, Royal Challengers Bengaluru stumbled badly early on. Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav bowled exceptional opening spells, picking up a wicket each. Shami removed Jacob Bethell, brilliantly caught at deep third by Prince, who then struck himself to dismiss Virat Kohli for a second-ball duck, putting RCB under massive pressure.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 😮 \|/

🎥 An absolute peach of a delivery from the young fast bowler to rattle the stumps 💥

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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 7, 2026

Despite the setbacks, Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar rebuilt calmly. With the rain-adjusted powerplay lasting 5.4 overs, RCB ended it at 40/2 before the pair accelerated against spin.

Their partnership blossomed into a crucial 95-run stand off 53 balls that dragged RCB back into the chase. Padikkal made 34 off 25 before falling, while Patidar produced a captain’s knock of 61 off 31 deliveries, including six towering sixes — one of them a monstrous 101-metre hit.

Even after the dismissals, RCB kept finding momentum-shifting overs. Tim David played a blazing cameo of 40 off just 17 balls and added 46 off 24 with Krunal Pandya to keep the equation alive deep into the chase.

Pandya’s back-to-back sixes to end the 17th over brought the target down to 33 off the final two overs. Prince Yadav then delivered a composed penultimate over, conceding only 13 runs to finish with excellent figures of 3/33.

That left RCB needing 20 off the final over, and Digvesh Rathi held his nerve superbly to close out the game and seal a memorable LSG victory.

The defeat denied RCB the chance to go top of the points table. LSG, meanwhile, remain bottom despite the win, but are still mathematically alive in the playoff race.

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