LSG Beat RCB by 1 Wicket | Another Last Ball Thriller | Nicholas Pooran: In the 15th match of the Indian Premier League 2023, Lucknow Super Giants took on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 10, 2023.
What followed was an exciting roller-coaster ride of a match, which ended with a dramatic finish as Lucknow Super Giants clinched a one-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore with zero balls remaining.
The Super Giants were in trouble early on, losing three wickets for just 23 runs in the first four overs. Marcus Stoinis came in at number five and tried to stabilise the innings but struggled to score off his first three deliveries.
LSG Beat RCB by 1 Wicket Nicholas Pooran Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Stoinis eventually opened his account with a risky swing across the line, which was dropped by Mohammed Siraj at mid-on. The Australian all-rounder went on to smash 65 off just 30 deliveries, including six fours and four sixes, to keep the Super Giants in the game.
The required run rate had crossed 13 at the end of the seventh over, but Stoinis took on Harshal Patel in the eighth over and hit him for two fours and a six. In the following over, Karn Sharma was smashed for two boundaries, and in the over after that, Shahbaz Ahmed was hit for two sixes. Stoinis brought up his fifty off 25 deliveries with a six off Ahmed, but was dismissed in the 11th over.
However, the real hero of the Super Giants’ chase was Nicholas Pooran, who came in at number seven when the team needed another 114 runs from 56 deliveries. Pooran started slowly, scoring just ten off his first five deliveries, but then exploded to score 62 off just 19 deliveries, including seven sixes and four fours.
LSG Beat RCB by 1 Wicket Nicholas Pooran Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
The West Indian left-hander’s fifty came up off just 15 deliveries, and he left the Royal Challengers bowlers in tatters with his clean striking.
When Pooran was dismissed, the Super Giants needed just 24 runs from the last 18 deliveries, and they managed to get over the line thanks to some smart batting by Ayush Badoni and some drama in the final over.
With four runs needed off five deliveries and three wickets in hand, Mark Wood was bowled by Harshal Patel. A few balls later, Faf du Plessis almost fumbled a catch but managed to hold on, leaving the Super Giants needing one run to win with one wicket in hand.
Patel then attempted to run out the non-striker backing up, but missed, leaving the Super Giants needing one run off the last ball with one wicket in hand. Dinesh Karthik juggled the ball behind the stumps but failed to grab it, allowing the Super Giants’ batsmen to take a bye and win the game by one wicket with zero balls remaining.
LSG Beat RCB by 1 Wicket Nicholas Pooran Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Royal Challengers had earlier posted a challenging total of 212/2 in their 20 overs, thanks to some explosive batting by Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell. Du Plessis remained unbeaten on 79 off 52 deliveries, while Kohli scored 61 off 37 deliveries and Maxwell smashed 59 off just 28 deliveries.
The Super Giants bowlers struggled to contain the Royal Challengers batsmen, with Amit Mishra being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 1/18 in his four overs.
In conclusion, the IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with both teams putting up a strong fight. Nicholas Pooran’s stunning performance and Marcus Stoinis’ early contribution were instrumental in Super Giants’ thrilling victory.
While RCB may have been left with broken hearts, they put up an impressive total and fought hard until the very end. This match serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket and the excitement it brings to fans around the world.
