Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have emerged as two of the fiercest rivals in the IPL all of a sudden. The reasons behind this go beyond the 22-yard line, but their encounters are always a dramatic fixture for fans.
Upon the announcement of this year’s fixtures, everyone was eagerly anticipating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru clash against Lucknow Super Giants. Their recent clash at Chinnaswamy may not have been as entertaining as fans had hoped, but it was still a close match. Royal Challengers Bengaluru invited Lucknow Super Giants to bat first on a two-paced Chinnaswamy wicket where LSG racked up 181 runs with blitz from Pooran and De Kock. In response, Royal Challengers Bengaluru never looked comfortable in the chase as Mayank Yadav led Lucknow’s attack dismantled RCB’s lineup.
In the end, LSG escaped with a victory at Chinnaswamy, but the picture could’ve been much different had some moments gone Bengaluru’s way. Let’s look at Five Moments which defined RCB vs LSG fixture 
Nicolas Pooran’s drop catch. The West Indian southpaw is one of the world’s best hardhitters right now, and dropping his catch is the biggest crime in cricket today. With just 10 runs on the board, Pooran was having trouble finding his rhythm. As a means of breaking free, he pulled one up into the air, giving a lollipop to the young Delhi wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat, but the youngster lobbed the catch and the consequences were clear. Pooran went on to smash 40 runs, and a catch would’ve made a 20-30 run difference if it had been taken at this moment.
Pooran’s redemption over against Topely
After Pooran’s catch was dropped, things didn’t look good for him, since he could not find his timing on the slower ones. However, Pooran’s fortunes changed when he faced Topely in the 19th over. Topely tried to be cheeky with the LSG batter after continually deceiving Pooran with slower deliveries, as he tried a yorker which Pooran deposited in the stands. Eventually, that over made a big difference in LSG’s total, as the Lucknow’s vice-captain smacked three sixes, which gave the team 20 runs from the whole over.
Virat Kohli’s wicket
Virat Kohli again has been a lone warrior for RCB this season. When chasing 182 runs, Kohli’s role would always be the deciding factor. The former Indian captain started his innings right at the top of his game and looked in supreme touch. When everything seemed to be on cruise control, M Siddharth’s arm ball threw a wrench in the works. Tami Nadu’s left arm slow bowler cleaned up Kohli and halted Bengluru’s smooth start, igniting a collapse.
Mayank Yadav’s fiery spell
Looking at Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s scoreboard, it’s easy to see what Mayank Yadav did to their batting lineup. He was brought on in the fifth over when the game was even, but Yadav changed the direction of the game in Lucknow’s favour through his fiery three-over spell. In the first over, the Delhi pacer tumbled Glenn Maxwell off an identical bouncer from the last game and knocked Bengaluru’s backbone with Green’s wicket off a peach. Following that spell, Lucknow gained momentum and RCB never looked like catching up with them.
Mahipal Lamror’s late assault
In most parts of the match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru looked down and out, but when Mahipal Lamror arrived at the crease, everyone saw a ray of light. The Rajasthan batsman smoked bowlers out of the park and pulled the match down to a fascinating 46 off three overs. When things started looking interesting, Yash Thakur gave Bengaluru knockout lunch with Lamror’s wicket. Both teams now find themselves in the opposite half of the table, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru tumbling at ninth position while Lucknow Super Giants climbing to the fourth. Bengaluru must now rethink their plans with key games coming up against Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians which could decide their fate this season.
