Marsh century and Prince spell sink RCB after drama

Lucknow Super Giants 209 for 3 (Marsh 111, Pooran 38, Pant 32*) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 203 for 6 (Patidar 61, David 40, Prince 3-33, Shahbaz 2-33) by nine runs

Lucknow Super Giants kept their IPL 2026 campaign alive with a tense nine-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-shortened 19-overs-a-side clash at the Ekana Stadium. Mitchell Marsh produced a breathtaking 111 off 56 balls before Prince Yadav’s hostile spell turned the chase decisively in LSG’s favour.

Three nights after failing to defend 228 against Mumbai Indians, LSG’s pace attack responded impressively on a surface offering pace, bounce and carry. Marsh’s century laid the foundation, but Prince’s spell during the middle overs ensured Bengaluru’s chase never fully recovered despite a fierce counterattack from Rajat Patidar.

Prince rattles RCB early

RCB’s chase suffered an immediate setback when Prince Yadav delivered one of the standout balls of the season to dismiss Virat Kohli for a duck. The high-paced nip-backer crashed through Kohli’s defence and shattered the stumps, leaving Bengaluru at 9 for 2 after Jacob Bethell had already fallen cheaply.

The dismissal marked Kohli’s first IPL duck since 2023 and instantly shifted momentum towards LSG. Prince consistently used the conditions cleverly, extracting sharp bounce and movement from the Ekana surface.

Patidar launches counterattack before Prince returns

Despite the early collapse, Rajat Patidar launched a stunning recovery effort. He attacked both Mayank Yadav and Digvesh Rathi aggressively, racing to a 26-ball half-century as RCB smashed 44 runs across three overs after reaching 60 for 2 in seven overs.

Patidar was especially severe on Rathi, taking 23 runs off just six balls against the spinner. Mayank’s pace initially troubled him, but Patidar soon countered with confident pulls and whips for sixes.

Just when RCB appeared to be taking control, Rishabh Pant brought Prince back into the attack. The move proved decisive. Prince first dismissed Devdutt Padikkal with a slower ball that held in the surface before removing Jitesh Sharma three deliveries later with a sharp bouncer that forced a top edge to Pant.

Those wickets transformed the game once again and left Prince with figures of 3 for 21 at that stage.

Shahbaz and Rathi complete the turnaround

Shahbaz Ahmed, playing only his second game of the season, also made a major impact with the ball. He dismissed Patidar for 61 before later removing Tim David for a rapid 40 off 17 balls just as RCB threatened to pull off a dramatic chase.

RCB still briefly remained in contention when Krunal Pandya hit Mohammed Shami for back-to-back sixes, reducing the target to 20 from the final over. However, Digvesh Rathi held his nerve superbly, conceding only one boundary to secure LSG’s third victory in ten matches and end their six-match losing streak.

The result keeps Lucknow mathematically alive in the competition, while RCB remain third on 12 points with net run rate separating them from Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans.

Marsh powers Lucknow to imposing total

Marsh’s innings was the defining factor behind LSG’s total of 209 for 3. Injuries had forced another reshuffle at the top of the order, with Arshin Kulkarni becoming LSG’s fifth opening partner combination of the season, but Marsh provided much-needed stability.

He reached his fifty off just 20 balls before bringing up a 49-ball century, the fastest hundred for Lucknow Super Giants since the franchise entered the IPL.

While Kulkarni struggled for fluency during his 17 off 23 balls, Marsh dominated throughout the innings. His assault on Josh Hazlewood stood out early, especially when he launched two sixes through the line in the fast bowler’s opening over.

The Australia allrounder punished anything short from Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya, with 90 of his 111 runs coming through boundaries. He eventually reached the landmark after taking Romario Shepherd apart for three fours in a single over.

Pant then ensured Lucknow finished strongly with an unbeaten 32 off only 10 balls. Rasikh Dar’s final over disappeared for 4, 4 and 6 off the last three deliveries as LSG collected 64 runs in the final five overs — a late surge that ultimately proved match-winning.

Also check out:

SRH go top as Connolly century ends in losing cause