Sharma’s 85-run blitz tops Pant’s ton as RCB beat LSG

Royal Challengers Bengaluru powered into IPL Qualifier 1 with a commanding six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday, despite a stunning century from Rishabh Pant.

Needing a win to skip the eliminator stage, Bengaluru chased down a daunting 228-run target with eight balls to spare, finishing at 230-4 and becoming the first team in IPL history to win all its away games in a season.

Pant delivered his best knock of the season — an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls laced with eight sixes and 11 fours — to lift Lucknow to 227-3. But the heroics went in vain as Bengaluru's aggressive reply, spearheaded by stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma, overwhelmed Lucknow's bowlers.

Sharma blazed an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls, smashing six sixes and eight fours in a match-winning partnership with Mayank Agarwal (41*), who also played a critical hand in the 107-run stand off 45 balls. Earlier, Virat Kohli set the tone with a brisk 54 off 30, following a solid opening burst from Phil Salt (30).

Kohli tore into New Zealand pacer Will O’Rourke with four boundaries in the second over. Despite Salt’s dismissal in the powerplay, RCB maintained momentum, reaching 66-1 after six overs.

O’Rourke briefly brought Lucknow back into the game with back-to-back wickets of Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone soon after the powerplay. Kohli raised his half-century with a crisp boundary but departed at 123-4 in the 12th over. That set the stage for Sharma and Agarwal's onslaught, which left Lucknow's bowlers — particularly O’Rourke, who ended with a costly 2-74 — with no answers.

Pant's Ton, Too Late

Pant, batting at No. 3, found fluency for the first time this season. He anchored a massive 152-run stand with Mitchell Marsh (67 off 31), who struck two sixes in a single over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar before falling in the 16th.

Pant raced to his half-century in 29 balls and reached his century in 54 with a boundary off Kumar, celebrating with a trademark front-flip. Lucknow pushed past 200, but their bowlers couldn’t defend the total.

Fast bowlers Yash Dayal (0-44) and Romario Shepherd (1-51) conceded 26 runs in the last two overs, with Shepherd removing Nicholas Pooran in the final over.

What’s Next

With the win, Bengaluru moves on to face table-toppers Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday. Gujarat Titans, who slipped to third, will now play Mumbai Indians in Friday’s eliminator. Lucknow’s loss leaves them in seventh, ending their campaign.