LSG Prevail in Chaotic Finish to Keep Campaign Alive

The Drought Ends 6-match losing run: LSG’s worst in IPL history, joint 5th-worst overall. Last win was March 30 vs DC. May 4 low point: Lost to MI by 6 wickets despite posting 228/5. Pooran 63 off 21, Marsh 45, but bowlers failed. Pant after MI loss: “I think we need some good luck, man… it’s going to take some more effort” Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) much-vaunted pace attack applied the skids on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a banana-peel clash at the Ekana Stadium. They successfully defended 219 in a rain-truncated 19-overs-a-side contest three nights after 228 didn't seem anywhere enough against Mumbai Indians. The orchestrator-in-chief was Mitchell Marsh, who converted his second fifty-plus score of the season into a peerless 56-ball 111, setting up the defence on a surface that offered pace, bounce and carry. Season: LSG’s most reliable bowler with 13 wickets before this game. Role: “Hitting the deck hard, pinpoint yorkers”. Key in fixing LSG’s death-bowling woesvs RCB: Helped restrict RCB and defend when batters finally fired. LSG had “inability to contain runs at the death” all season. Then, Prince Yadav used these elements as his ally to bowl a ball to Virat Kohli that will perhaps make the top-five deliveries of the season. When RCB's chase truly kicked into gear courtesy of Rajat Patidar, Prince returned to dismiss Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma within five deliveries to turn the game around. Pressure off Pant: Calls to “sack Rishabh Pant as LSG captain” after 8 wins in 23 games as skipper. Both units clicked: Shastri noted LSG’s issue was “when bowling performs, batters fail… when batters score, bowlers go for plenty”. This time both worked. Playoff math: 3rd win = 6 points. Still “hanging by a thread” but aliveBeat the champs: RCB were 2nd, 6 wins from 9, had beaten LSG by 5 wickets on April 15. Between finishing his second over and returning for his third, the 11th of RCB's chase, Prince may have felt a sense of deja vu. Three weeks ago, he finished with 2 for 25 off his full quota in an innings where LSG conceded 254 against Punjab Kings. Here, Patidar threatened an incredible jailbreak as he tore into Mayank Yadav and Digvesh Rathi to pummel a 26-ball half-century. Batting woes: Crossed 180 only 3 times in 9 games. Bowled out 3 times. Avg total mid-160sKey batters: Marsh 256 runs SR 139.13, Markram 224. Pooran “woefully out of form” except 63 vs MI. Bowling: Prince 13 wickets, Mohsin 10. Shami started well but “struggled in recent matches” Bottom line: Mitchell Marsh’s 32-ball 76 and Prince Yadav’s disciplined bowling finally gave LSG something to cheer. The 6-wicket win over mighty RCB ends a 6-match skid that had LSG bottom of IPL 2026, and gives Rishabh Pant’s side overdue relief. Lucknow Super Giants 209 for 3 (Marsh 111, Pooran 38, Pant 32*) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 203 for 6 (Patidar 61, David 40, Prince 3-33, Shahbaz 2-33) by nine runs