Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya leap in joy as sensational Jitesh Sharma smashes 6 to take RCB to Qualifier 1 with 6-wicket triumph over LSG [Watch]

A spectacular finish from Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper and stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma saw Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya leap in joy on Tuesday. The franchise registered a six-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. This was their last league game of the season, and they now have nine wins from 14 games.

Electing to bowl first, RCB took a bit of a beating on the Ekana Stadium track. A second IPL hundred from Rishabh Pant (118 off 61) and a half century from Mitchell Marsh (67 off 37) ensured that they posted 227/2 in their 20 overs. A half century from Virat Kohli (54 off 30) ensured that RCB was still in the hunt, but the hopes had dipped a bit.

Enter Jitesh Sharma, who scored 85 runs in 33 deliveries and ensured that RCB had this game firmly in their grasp. Along with Mayank Agarwal (41 off 23), he put together 107 runs for the sixth wicket. He took his side home, courtesy of a towering maximum on the bowling of Ayush Badoni. Both Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya leapt with joy, celebrating a historic win for the team.

Take a look at the video of the same:

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru finish in second place on the table, enter Qualifier 1

The win against Lucknow Super Giants ensured that RCB secured a finish in one of the top two spots in the points table. The Bengaluru-based franchise needed to chase the target inside 18 overs to finish at the top. However, a win ensured they overtook Gujarat Titans in the points table with one extra point.

RCB also registered their first appearance in Qualifier 1 for the first time since 2016. They won their last game of the league stages against Delhi Capitals then and secured a spot in the top two places in the points table. They went on to play in the finals, where they fell short against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 runs.