Rajat Patidar won the toss and, reading the overcast skies and a traditionally sticky Ekana surface, chose to bowl first. For precisely one over, the decision appeared justified: Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded just five runs. Then Mitchell Marsh faced Josh Hazlewood, and the match tilted irrevocably. The Australian launched two towering straight sixes in Hazlewood’s first over and never looked back. By the end of the powerplay, LSG were 68/0 — Marsh alone had contributed 58 off 24 balls.[reference:0]

Rain interrupted play repeatedly, eventually reducing the contest to 19 overs per side. Marsh, unfazed by the stop-start rhythm, brought up his century with back-to-back boundaries in the 14th over — reaching the milestone in just 49 deliveries, the fastest ever by an LSG batter, surpassing Rishabh Pant’s 54-ball effort from earlier this season.[reference:1] Arshin Kulkarni played a sedate supporting hand of 17 off 24 before falling to Krunal Pandya. Nicholas Pooran then ignited, smashing 38 off 22 in a 70-run stand with Marsh off just 41 balls.[reference:2]

When Marsh finally departed for 111 — caught by Tim David off Hazlewood — Rishabh Pant produced a stunning finishing cameo. The LSG skipper smashed 32 not out off 10 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes, SR 320) as LSG raced to 209/3 in their allotted 19 overs.[reference:3] The DLS method then revised RCB’s target to 213 in 19 overs.

Chasing a DLS-revised target of 213 in 19 overs, RCB needed a strong start. What they got was their worst nightmare. Mohammed Shami struck in the first over, having Jacob Bethell (4) caught brilliantly at deep third by Prince Yadav. One over later, Prince produced the ball of the tournament — a searing nip-backer that whooshed past Virat Kohli’s groping inside edge and splayed his stumps. It was Kohli’s first IPL duck since 2023. RCB were 9/2 in 1.2 overs.[reference:4]

Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 25) and Rajat Patidar launched a stunning counter-attack. Patidar was magnificent, pummelling a 26-ball half-century with six towering sixes — one a monstrous 101-metre hit. Their 95-run stand off 53 balls dragged RCB from the abyss to 104/3.[reference:5]

Then Prince Yadav returned. In a devastating 11th over, he dismissed Padikkal (34) caught behind and Jitesh Sharma (1) two balls later. When Shahbaz Ahmed removed Patidar for 61 off 31, RCB had slumped to 112/5.[reference:6] Tim David (40 off 17) and Krunal Pandya (28* off 16) kept the chase flickering, but Prince’s penultimate over conceded just 13 and left RCB needing 20 off the final over. Romario Shepherd (23* off 15) and Pandya couldn’t find the finishing blow, and RCB ended at 203/6 — nine runs short.[reference:7]

1. Marsh’s Powerplay Blitz (LSG 68/0 after 6): Marsh smashed 58 off his first 24 balls, including two towering straight sixes off Josh Hazlewood. The Australian reached his fastest IPL fifty in just 20 balls, setting a platform RCB could never dismantle.[reference:13]

2. Marsh’s Record Century (49 balls): With back-to-back boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marsh brought up the fastest LSG century in IPL history, surpassing Rishabh Pant’s 54-ball effort. The innings single-handedly drove LSG to a DLS-winning total.[reference:14]

3. Pant’s Finishing Cameo (32* off 10): The LSG skipper smashed three fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 320, providing the final surge that took LSG from a competitive total to a match-winning one.[reference:15]

4. Prince Yadav’s Peach to Kohli (RCB 9/2): A searing nip-backer at high pace whooshed past Kohli’s inside edge to splay his stumps. It was Kohli’s first IPL duck since 2023 — and immediately became one of the most replayed deliveries of the season.[reference:16]

5. Patidar’s Counter-Attack (61 off 31): The RCB captain smashed six sixes, including a monstrous 101-metre hit, in a stunning 95-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal that briefly brought the champions roaring back.[reference:17]

6. Prince’s Game-Turning 11th Over: Returning for his third over with RCB at 104/2, Prince Yadav dismissed Padikkal (34) and Jitesh Sharma (1) within five deliveries to swing the match decisively back to LSG. Two balls later, Patidar fell too — RCB 112/5.[reference:18]