RCB vs LSG IPL 2023 Match Highlights: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) star Nicholas Pooran (19-ball 62) produced one of the greatest T20 knocks of all time - scoring 2nd fastest fifty in history of Indian Premier League (IPL) - to pull off a sensational one-wicket win for his team over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnasamy stadium on Monday (April 10). For the fifth time in IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost a game even after scoring 200-plus runs after batting first - most by a team in the history of this tournament.
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Lucknow kept losing wickets at regular intervals, struggling at the end of the powerplay. Marcus Stoinis (30-ball 65) scored some quick runs, notching up his first fifty of the season to get LSG back into the game and once the tone was set, Nicholas Pooran, the 16 crore man, hammered seven sixes and four boundaries during his innings to score fastest fifty of IPL 2023. RCB fought till the very end, removing two LSG tailenders cheaply but a failed run-out attempt off the final ball sealed the deal for Lucknow.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and invited Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat first. For RCB, skipper Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell hit fiery half-centuries to help Royal Challengers Bangalore set an imposing 213-run for Lucknow. Virat and Faf opened the innings for RCB. Virat Kohli unleashed beast mode, clobbering every LSG bowler out of the park to set the tone for RCB innings with his 44-ball 61-run knock as he even shared 96 runs partnership for opening wicket with Du Plessis who notched up an unbeaten 79 off 46 balls.
After a sedate start, high on confidence Kohli clobbered the Lucknow Super Giants bowler for fours and sixes, bringing up his fifty in the ninth over with a single off Ravi Bishnoi.
Faf du Plessis not just provided great support to Virat but also played a captain's innings. Soon after Kohli's dismissal, the South African went hammer and tongs, smashing poor deliveries to the fence. LSG veteran Amit Mishra was the one, the only wicket-taker in first innings, who put an end to Virat's blitzkrieg in the 12th over. Kohli returned to the pavilion after hitting the ball straight to Marcus Stonis at square leg for an easy catch.
Towards the end of the innings, Maxwell went after LSG bowlers from the word go, raining sixes and fours. The Australian star all-rounder notched up his fifty off just 24 balls. Plessis and Maxwell brought up their 100-run partnership in just 44 deliveries.