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IPL 2023 is throwing one epic game after another!
Barely had everyone recovered from KKR star Rinku Singh's sensational match-winning five sixes in the final over against Gujarat Titans, a day later they were treated to another epic last-ball finish.
Powered by blazing half-centuries from Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, Lucknow Super Giants clinched a memorable one-wicket victory off the final ball against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a high-scoring thriller at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Chasing 213 for victory, LSG lost a few early wickets to find themselves reeling on 23/3 after four overs.
Captain K L Rahul's cautious approach in the Powerplay further complicated matters. It was then Stoinis decided to take matter into his own hands.
The normally-reliable Harshal Patel had a forgettable day. His slower balls proved to be too predictable on the featherbed of a wicket in Bengaluru as Stoinis carted the first three balls for a six and back to back fours in the eighth over.
That over proved to be the trigger point for LSG's turnaround. Karn Sharma, brought in as the Impact Player, suffered at the hands of the powerful Australian right-hander, who smashed him for a six and couple of fours in the ninth over.
Stoinis then hammered left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed for couple of sixes in the next over as he raced to his fifty from 25 balls.
Stoinis's quickfire 65 from 30 balls was responsible in keeping afloat with Rahul managing a painstaking 18 from 20 balls. The two batters departed in the space of four deliveries which again made LSG's task difficult.
In stepped Caribbean marauder Nicholas Pooran who launched a sensational counter-attack to leave the home crowd stunned, blasting his way to a 15-ball fifty.
Pooran's whirlwind 62 from 19 balls, which included seven sixes and four fours, turned the match on its head.
No bowler was spared as Pooran peppered every inch of the Chinnaswamy with his brutal assault.
His dismissal resulted in another twist.
Ayush Badoni and Jaydev Unadkat took their team close by relying on singles before the former was out hit wicket for 30 in the penultimate over.
Five were needed from the final over bowled by Harshal Patel.
Mark Wood missed a full toss and was bowled off the second ball.
With just one required for victory, Unadkat had a brain fade moment as he pulled a short ball straight to Faf du Plessis when he could have easily pushed it on the leg side and collected the winning run.
With one required for victory, there was a lot of drama. Harshal tried to run out Ravi Bishnoi, who had left his crease early at the non-striker's end but missed the stumps and his second attempt was ruled invalid as he was already a long way down the pitch without delivering the ball.
RCB should have finished level and taken the match to the Super Over, but Dinesh Karthik's fumble cost them dearly.
Last man Avesh Khan had a big swing and missed, but the experienced Karthik failed to gather the ball cleanly in his hurry to run out the LSG batters, who scampered a quick bye and stole an unbelievable one-wicket victory off the last ball.
It was a mindboggling escape for Lucknow Super Giants, but RCB's bowling woes continued.
For all their batting prowess, RCB continue to struggle with the ball. This is the fifth time they have failed to defend a 200-plus target -- the most by any IPL team.