Lucknow Super Giants kept its IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a dramatic nine-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-affected thriller at the Ekana Stadium on Thursday.

In a contest interrupted multiple times by rain, Mitchell Marsh produced a breathtaking batting display, smashing 111 off just 56 deliveries to power LSG to a formidable total before Prince Yadav’s incisive bowling spell derailed RCB’s chase at crucial moments.

Asked to bat first by RCB captain Rajat Patidar, Lucknow’s innings got off to a stop-start beginning as rain halted play after just nine balls. However, Marsh wasted no time making his intentions clear, launching Josh Hazlewood over long-off for a towering six before the interruption.

Once play resumed, the Australian all-rounder completely dominated on a surface that had previously favoured bowlers during the tournament. Marsh punished anything full or wide from the RCB attack, particularly through the offside, combining brute force with elegant strokeplay.

While Marsh flourished, opening partner Arshin Kulkarni struggled to find momentum. Drafted in as LSG’s sixth opening combination of the season after replacing Josh Inglis, Kulkarni found it difficult to rotate strike and eventually fell to Krunal Pandya after the second rain interruption.

Nicholas Pooran then joined Marsh and immediately looked fluent, guiding boundaries expertly through the offside to keep the scoring rate high. Marsh continued his assault and reached his second IPL century in only 49 balls with a majestic extra-cover drive off Romario Shepherd shortly before rain interrupted play yet again.

After the final restart, Marsh departed soon after reaching the milestone, while Pooran chipped in with useful runs before holing out late in the innings. Captain Rishabh Pant then provided the finishing flourish with a trademark explosive cameo, hammering 32 off only 10 deliveries to push Lucknow beyond the 200-run mark.

RCB’s revised target of 213 quickly became difficult after Prince Yadav delivered a sensational burst with the new ball. Moments after misfielding at deep third, Prince redeemed himself brilliantly by dismissing Jacob Bethell with a sharp catch before clean bowling Virat Kohli with a superb delivery that jagged back to hit off stump.

Despite the setbacks, Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal launched a strong counterattack with a 95-run partnership. Padikkal played aggressively early on, while Patidar accelerated later with a series of stylish sixes to bring up a rapid half-century.

However, Prince returned to break the stand by dismissing Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma in the same over, shifting momentum firmly back towards Lucknow. Shahbaz Ahmed then removed the dangerous Patidar, while Tim David’s late assault ended when he sliced a catch to backward point.

RCB fought until the final over through Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd, but Digvesh Rathi held his nerve under pressure to defend 20 runs and seal Lucknow’s first home win of the season.

The victory not only revived LSG’s playoff ambitions but also showcased its ability to handle pressure in one of the most dramatic matches of the campaign.