In a spine-chilling touch of daring under pressure, provisional captain Jitesh Sharma and almost legendary Mayank Agarwal put up one of the most glorious comebacks in IPL 2025 history, beating Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in an entry to Qualifier 1.
A target as imposing as 228 seemed split into a nightmare; with RCB in peril at 123/4, now came another of Kohli’s departures at 54. With time running out and the game slipping away, it’s time for the unlikely heroes to take center stage.
Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarwal Power RCB to Qualifier 1
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With pressure mounting on the match, Jitesh Sharma stepped in as captain and played a career-defining knock of an unbeaten 85 off 33 balls with 8 fours and 6 sixes. His maiden IPL big fifty came at the crunch time, displaying the temperament and skill that earned him so much guarantee from RCB during the auction.
Mayank Agarwal, a seasoned campaigner who had initially gone unsold in the 2025 auction, was a complete foil to Sharma’s aggressive style. Agarwal remained unbeaten on 41 off just 23 balls, with the pair forming an unbroken 107-run partnership that made the impossible seem so doable.
“Among the team, the conversation was very constructive. For somebody who came into the team to see that after 12 overs we didn’t make it, you can see that hurt on everybody’s faces. you can see that everybody is hurting. There was a pinch, which just shows us the standards that players have set for themselves. The skipper, Jitesh, spoke about it last game, and today he is going like that, showing it is impressive,” Mayank Agarwal reflected after the match.
This win pushed RCB to second position on the points table with 19 points, meaning they will now take on Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on May 29 for a direct shot at the final. It’s more crucial, though, that the top two finishers get two major opportunities to reach the IPL 2025 final.
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