It's the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Match 43 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. It will be to see if this game will end in a nail-biting thriller as well as their previous encounter did.
The previous meeting between these two teams at the Chinnaswamy Stadium saw any amount of runs not being enough to defend.
Head to head: RCB has a 2-1 advantage over LSG. In all three fixtures, RCB batted first.
RCB only had 126 to defend but they made it seem like plenty.
The two teams, in their last encounter produced a 425-run thriller.
But today, both sides struggled with the bat.
LSG knew they had to make the most of the powerplay but the first two overs yielded just 2 runs.
The side surely missed KL Rahul's services at the top, but the injured player did come out to bat at the end, but it was a little too late.
Post the match, there were some heated arguments taking place between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.
Both were seen having a serious talk with all the players getting involved and trying to separate the two.
RCB have wrapped this up!
Slower ball floated up at the stumps and Mishra looked for a lofted drive down the ground.
He mistimed it, giving Karthik a simple catch.
Mishra c Karthik b Harshal Patel 19(30) [4s-2]
Injured Rahul is coming out to bat!
This is short outside off and Naveen-ul-Haq tries a ramp but only gets a nick and the ball lands in the hands of the keeper.
Naveen-ul-Haq c Karthik b Hazlewood 13(13) [4s-2]
Another run out.
Bishnoi was trying to take a second run but was sent back by DK.
Ravi Bishnoi run out (Harshal Patel/Karthik) 5(10)
Why was there not stretch from Krishnappa Gowtham?
A run-out appeal was made and it was referred to the third umpire.
Gowtham was in fine form and after 1 run was completed, they went for a 2nd, but he missed by margins.
Gowtham run out (Sonu Yadav/Karthik) 23(13) [4s-1 6s-2]
Stoinis slices the ball in the air, and it is taken!
Karn, again floats the leg-break wide outside off and Stoinis goes for a big lofted shot.
But there's turn for Karn and the ball grips and catches the outside half and lands into Prabhudessai's hands.
Stoinis c Prabhudessai b Karn Sharma 13(19) [6s-1]
Pooran was trying to counter attack and he picked the right ball but he did not get the timing right.
Picked the legbreak from outside leg and got too much height than distance.
Lomror at deep square ran across to his right and dived to complete the catch.
Pooran c Lomror b Karn Sharma 9(7) [6s-1]
Wickets keep falling for Lucknow!
It was the the gentle legbreak from Hasaranga.
He managed to beat the prodding blade of Hooda and got the ball to skid to DK who did the rest.
Hooda st Karthik b Hasaranga 1(2)
It's Kohli again!
Hazlewood surely got into Badoni head after an almost maiden over.
He switched ends and bowled a touch fuller than the good length and Badoni slapped to the drive but the ball went toward Kohli at cover.
Ayush Badoni c Kohli b Hazlewood 4(11)
Maxi strikes! He fired this wide and did not offer too much pace on it.
Krunal came shuffling down the track and looked for an inside out loft. He got the height but not the distance.
Kohli ran back and completed a fine catch to his right at long-off.
Krunal Pandya c Kohli b Maxwell 14(11) [4s-3]
Out for a third-ball duck in Bengaluru and now out for a second-ball duck.
Siraj taking wickets in the Powerplay has become a habit.
Mayers looked to bash the ball over the infield but the lack of bounce saw the ball hit the bottom half of the bat.
Anuj backpedals and claimed the catch over his head.
Mayers c Anuj Rawat b Siraj 0(2)
LSG lost their skipper but they bossed that innings.
Kohli and Faf put on 62 runs for the first wicket but soon after, they lost their footing after the wicket of Kohli fell.
Naveen-ul-Haq took 3 wickets while Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra got 2 each. Krishnappa Gowtham also took a wicket.
LSG went for a review and it went in their favour!
Dug in short on the stumps and Siraj shuffled across trying to go for the scoop.
The ball brushes the glove and the review works.
Siraj c Pooran b Naveen-ul-Haq 0(1)
Slower ball on a length outside off and Karn Sharma tried to guide it over backward point.
However, he only found the man there.
Karn Sharma c Gowtham b Naveen-ul-Haq 2(2)
What just happened?
DK took a huge start and Hasaranga mistimed the ball back to Yash Thakur.
The baller took the ball and turned around and hit the stumps at the bowler's end.
Karthik run out (Yash Thakur) 16(11) [4s-1 6s-1]
Another umpire's call goes LSG's way!
Sharp back of a length delivery that cut in off the seam.
Lomror on the back foot played all around it but missed it.
Lomror lbw b Naveen-ul-Haq 3(4)
It was nicely tossed up legbreak outside off and du Plessis was going across the line.
However, it spun away and took the thick outside-edge.
Krunal ran from cover to take a fine running catch.
du Plessis c Krunal Pandya b Mishra 44(40) [4s-1 6s-1]
The drizzle has gotten heavy and the covers are on.
Hopefully this is just a passing shower.
Misjudged that at long-off initially as he was hanging back, the fielder then dived forward to take a good catch.
RCB losing their way to spin.
Prabhudessai c Gowtham b Mishra 6(7)
Big wicket and Ravi Bishnoi is thrilled.
It was given out LBW as Maxwell misses the reverse-sweep. He immediately reviews.
UltraEdge shows no bat involved and it stays with umpire's call on hitting.
Maxwell lbw b Ravi Bishnoi 4(5)
It was slower and outside off and Anuj Rawat went on the back foot to pull.
He got the height but not the distance as he picks out deep mid-wicket.
Krunal is happy as he celebrates with Gowtham.
Anuj Rawat c Mayers b Gowtham 9(11)
Kohli surely chose the wrong delivery to step out of the crease.
Wider outside off, the googly and Kohli missed the drive. The ball spun back in to beat the inside-edge.
Pooran collects the ball and does the rest.
Kohli st Pooran b Ravi Bishnoi 31(30) [4s-3]
du Plessis smashed the ball for a FOUR but while going to stop the ball, KL was seen down.
He was holding his right leg. He is grimacing as a couple of team-mates come towards him to check and he was taken off the field.
In Marcus Stoinis' over, on his 3rd ball, the ball just clears Naveen, who ran back and dived full-stretch at mid-on, but did not get a fingertip despite a terrific effort.
On the 5th ball, Kohli cleared KL at cover despite the LSG captain outstretching his right hand.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and have opted to bat.
For RCB, Hazlewood in tonight, and Anuj comes in for Shahbaz. As for LSG, Avesh Khan misses out and K Gowtham comes in.
Teams:
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): KL Rahul(c), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran(w), Krishnappa Gowtham, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Amit Mishra, Yash Thakur,
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(w), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood