NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squandered an opportunity to climb to the top of the IPL points table after suffering a nine-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday night.
Chasing a target of 213, RCB faced an early setback when Virat Kohli was dismissed for a two-ball duck. Despite a valiant effort from Rajat Patidar and Tim David, the team fell short of the target.
Match Highlights
LSG's bowling attack, led by Prince Yadav who claimed 3/33, restricted RCB to 203/6. Mohammed Shami provided an early breakthrough in the first over, and Prince bowled Kohli to leave RCB struggling at 9/2.
RCB fought back through a crucial 95-run partnership between Devdutt Padikkal (34) and captain Patidar (61). Patidar's aggressive batting briefly shifted the momentum in RCB's favor.
Late contributions from Tim David, Krunal Pandya (28 not out), and Romario Shepherd (23 not out) kept RCB in the contest. However, Digvesh Rathi defended 20 runs in the final over to secure LSG's victory.
Kohli's Dressing Room Speech
After the match, Kohli addressed the team in the dressing room, urging players to stay positive and enjoy the remainder of the season. "Why did we get those six wins? Because we were enjoying, and we were only worried about our standards, and we’re not even looking at the opposition," Kohli said in a video shared by RCB on X.
He added, "And I want to see absolute enjoyment and excitement to get back in the park, regardless of what the jersey colour on the other side is."
Current Standings
Despite the defeat, RCB remain in the top four of the points table. However, they will need improved performances in their remaining four matches to secure a playoff spot.
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