NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) survived a late fightback from Tim David (40 off 17 balls) to beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by nine runs in their IPL 2026 match at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday. Prince Yadav took three wickets as LSG defended their total in a rain-hit 19-overs-a-side game. RCB chased down 213 by DLS method.RCB needed 20 runs in the final over but Digvesh Rathi gave away just 10 runs to seal the win for LSG.After six straight defeats and eight straight home defeats, this was a much-needed win for LSG. Even after the win, they remained in 10th place in the table, but there were some reliefs in the camp.Meanwhile, RCB squandered a chance to move to the top of the table.It was also LSG’s first win in five matches in Lucknow this season and their first win against RCB at the Ekana Stadium in three tries.It was RCB’s first defeat as they chased down five matches this season, while LSG recorded their first win as they defended in five matches in total.Earlier, Mitchell Marsh scored a century as repeated rain interruptions affected LSG’s innings and they posted 209/3.Three rain breaks delayed play for nearly an hour before the match was reduced to 19 overs per side.Marsh scored 111 off 56 balls and added 95 runs for the opening wicket with Arshin Kulkarni (17). He then put on another 70 runs with Nicholas Pooran (38). Captain Rishabh Pant later scored 32 not out from just 10 balls.Marsh went on the attack from the start hitting boundaries and sixes all over the ground. His innings included nine fours and nine sixes.With LSG desperately needing a win to stay alive in the play-off race, Marsh attacked the RCB bowlers from the start after LSG were asked to bat first.Josh Hazlewood faced most of the early onslaught as Marsh hit two consecutive sixes over his head before adding three boundaries in the same spell.LSG reached 95/0 in nine overs before the first rain interruption halted play for around 30 minutes. After the restart, Krunal Pandya dismissed Kulkarni.Nicholas Pooran then got going with two boundaries off Rasikh while Marsh reached his century with consecutive fours before hitting another six over cover point just before rain stopped play again.Marsh was dropped by Devdutt Padikkal for 110 but could not make the most of it as he was later caught at deep point by Hazlewood.After Marsh’s dismissal, Pant took over and hit four fours and two sixes with his quick unbeaten knock.Chasing the total, RCB were restricted to 203 for six with Prince Yadav (3/33) and Shahbaz Ahmed (2/33) sharing the wickets for LSG.Skipper Rajat Patidar was RCB’s top scorer with a 31-ball 61.For RCB, Krunal Pandya (1/31) and Josh Hazlewood (1/49) took a wicket each.
