RCB beat Lucknow Super Giants, to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1

Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced a clinical chase in their final league stage match of IPL 2025, overhauling a massive 228-run target set by Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium.

The victory not only confirmed RCB’s top-two finish on the points table but also made them the first-ever team to win all their away games in a single IPL season.

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Asked to bowl first, RCB were put under pressure by a resurgent Rishabh Pant, who struck his second IPL century, getting to the milestone in just 54 balls. It was Pant’s first hundred in the IPL since his 128* against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, and it marked the fastest century ever by an LSG batter. He shared a 152-run stand in 78 balls with Mitchell Marsh, who scored 67 off 37 balls, guiding LSG to a formidable 227/3.

In response, RCB started positively with a 61-run opening partnership. Virat Kohli chipped in with a fluent 54, laying the groundwork for the chase. The defining moment came in the 17th over, when Digvesh Rathi Mankaded Jitesh Sharma, who was out of his crease. However, LSG captain Rishabh Pant withdrew the appeal, allowing Jitesh to continue.

Quiz: Who's that IPL player?The RCB skipper made the most of the second chance, finishing with an unbeaten 85 off 33 balls, his maiden IPL fifty. He was well supported by Mayank Agarwal, who scored 41 not out off 27. The pair stitched an unbeaten 107-run partnership off just 45 balls, powering RCB to 231/3, their highest successful chase in IPL history.With the win, RCB finish in the top two of the league standings and will now face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1, giving them two shots at reaching the IPL final. The victory also sealed RCB's place in the record books as the only team to win all their away fixtures in an IPL season.