LSG vs RCB IPL 2025 Match 70 Highlights: Jitesh’s special leads RCB to Qualifier 1

Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 70: Man of the Match

Jitesh Sharma was named the player of the match for his spectacular performance with the bat in the second innings. The wicketkeeper batter came to the crease at a tumultuous period after Virat Kohli was dismissed. He quickly got off the mark and started to smash boundaries all around the stadium. The 31-year-old scored his first half-century in the Indian Premier League and made sure that millions of cricket fans would remember it. He ended the second innings unbeaten with a score of 85 runs in only 33 deliveries and smashed eight fours and six sixes. 

Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 70: Top Performers

Jitesh Sharma - 85* (33)

It was a night for the wicketkeeper skippers as Jitesh Sharma played a match-winning knock in the second innings. The right-handed batter’s knock came at a time when no one would have predicted a win for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The wicketkeeper not only scored his first half-century in the Indian Premier League but also played a knock that he will remember for the rest of his life. No one would have guessed that RCB would chase down the total when Kohli was dismissed with only 123 runs on the board. However, enter Jitesh Sharma, and he blasted the LSG bowlers all around the Ekana Cricket Stadium and scored 85 runs in only 33 balls at a strike rate of more than 250. He struck eight sixes and six fours in the knock to lead his side to Qualifier 1. 

Virat Kohli - 54 (30)

Virat Kohli once again showed why he is known as the master of chases. Even though he could not see his team through to the win, Kohli was still at his best. He played with immense control and smashed a vital half-century. Kohli ended up with a score of 54 runs while facing only 30 balls. The former RCB skipper smashed 10 fours but did not hit a single six. 

Rishabh Pant - 118* (61)

Rishabh Pant was at his best tonight against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The LSG skipper gave himself a promotion in the batting order and walked in at number three ahead of Nicholas Pooran. It was a move that might have been made to use Pooran against the spinners, but it worked miraculously in the favour of the hosts with Pant going all guns blazing. He scored his second century in the Indian Premier League. He played all his signature shots, including a six off one hand. Pant saved his best for the last match and crashed RCB’s hopes of making it into Qualifier 1. He scored 118 runs in only 61 balls, smashing the ball around the park to collect 11 fours and eight sixes. 

Mitchell Marsh - 67 (37)

While his skipper was going all guns blazing, Mitchell Marsh was doing better than playing a second fiddle. The Australian batter, after starting pretty slowly, had scored only 19 runs off 16 balls at the end of eight overs. He took off once Romario Shepherd came into the attack and struck his first six of the innings. Marsh got going after that over and did not look back. It was the sixth fifty for the Australian in the season. He ended up with 67 runs in 37 balls, hitting four fours and five sixes. 

Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 70: 1st Innings Summary

It was a great battle between Nuwan Thushara and the LSG batters in the first six overs. The Sri Lankan pacer, making his debut for RCB, was pretty impressive as he got the ball moving in the air. He picked up a wicket while going for only 19 runs in his three overs in the power play.

Rishabh Pant walked in to bat at number three and got off to a great start. For the first time in the season, the LSG skipper looked at his best. He took the attack against the left-arm pace of Yash Dayal first up. Pant continued to bat with positive intent after the power play and scored his second half-century of the season. Notably, his fifty against Chennai Super Kings came at the same pitch. However, unlike the game against CSK, Pant did not get out and went on to score his second century in the IPL. The left-handed batter smashed the RCB bowlers all around the park and ended up with his second-highest score in all T20s. 

Mitchell Marsh, without his regular opening partner, Aiden Markram, continued his fine form in the season. The Australian batter started his knock pretty slowly. However, he made up for it after the power play, playing some great shots all around the park. The right-handed batter scored his sixth fifty of the season and completed 600 runs in the season. 

For RCB, they not only missed Josh Hazlewood but also missed their regular skipper, Rajat Patidar. There were plenty of mistakes made in the field by Jitesh Sharma, the stand-in skipper. He gave Krunal Pandya only a couple of overs, in spite of him bowling pretty economically. 

Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 70: 2nd Innings Summary

In response, RCB got off to a flying start in the power play. Both Phil Salt and Virat Kohli capitalised on the batter-friendly conditions at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. They played risk-free cricket and smashed the LSG bowlers all around the park. Up until the sixth over, when Salt was dismissed, RCB were going at a rate better than the asking rate. 

Kohli was again at his best in a chase, but unfortunately, did not receive much support from the rest of the RCB batters. Both Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone were dismissed off consecutive deliveries. Even though Mayank Agarawal was showing some intent, the asking rate kept on climbing, which meant that Kohli had to take a risk. After hitting 10 fours and no sixes, the former RCB skipper was dismissed while playing his first aerial shot.

William O’Rourke, in spite of being pretty expensive in his spell, brought LSG back into the game with a double-wicket eighth over. He dismissed Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone off successive deliveries. 

Jitesh Sharma came to the crease after Kohli had been dismissed and played a gem of an innings. The stand-in skipper had made a few mistakes on the field in the first innings but redeemed himself with a great knock in the second innings. He played at a strike rate of more than 250, which proved to be crucial in RCB reaching Qualifier 1. It was not a century from him but an equally important knock as any century in the history of IPL. The wicketkeeper scored 85 runs in only 33 balls and received a great amount of support from Mayank Agarwal, who remained unbeaten with a score of 41 runs in only 23 balls. 

Awards given in the RCB vs LSG Match 70

• Curvv Super Striker of the Match: Jitesh Sharma(RCB)- SR: 257.58

• Fantasy Player of the Match: Jitesh Sharma

• Most 4S: Rishabh Pant ( LSG)- 11 fours

• Most 6S: Rishabh Pant (LSG)- 8 fours

• Most Dot Balls: Nuwan Thushara (RCB)- 10 dot balls 

• Player of the match: Jitesh Sharma

Key Moments of the Match

• Yesterday’s match was very important for the RCB team as they needed to win it in order to qualify for the top two position. But LSG gave it all too, the 152 runs partnership between Rishabh Pant and Mitchell Marsh was the first key moment of the match.

• Amidst all the hitting during that partnership, Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke that partnership, this is the second moment of the match as Marsh could have been dangerous had he stayed till the end.

• The opening stand of 61 between the RCB openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli is the third key moment of the match as the start was important for RCB to chase this big total down.

• The wicket of Virat Kohli in the 11th over is another key moment of the match as Virat was set he could have stayed till the end and won it for RCB.

• The last key moment of the match happened when Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarawal stitched a partnership of 107 not out and took RCB home in an incredible run chase.