"No words to describe": RCB's Mayank Agarwal left enchanted by Jitesh Sharma's batting heroics
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 28 (ANI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Mayank Agarwal struggled to find words to describe the bewitching heroics of stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, who left Lucknow Super Giants gobsmacked in the final group stage fixture of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Ekana Stadium.
Bengaluru trounced the Super Giants in Lucknow with a six-wicket triumph and eight balls to spare, courtesy of Jitesh's unbeaten 85-run blitzkrieg to power the touring party into the second spot at the expense of Gujarat Titans. During RCB's record-shattering 228-run chase, Mayank witnessed Jitesh's blitzkrieg firsthand and played second fiddle during their unbeaten 107-run stand.
He arrived at the crease after the eighth over when RCB had lost Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone on two consecutive deliveries. Mayank outlined the plan the duo quickly framed to pull off the third-highest successful chase in the cash-rich league's history.
'There is very little talking to do. I just had to give the strike, and I think it was a wicketkeeper's game. Jitesh put up a show, and he was simply outstanding. There are no words to describe what he did,' Mayank said after the match.
'We were just calculating, and the wicket was good enough to target the fast bowlers. It builds a lot of confidence, momentum and belief as well. We could not do it last game, but we definitely made amends, and the captain led from the front. When I came, we lost two quick wickets. The plan was to build a partnership, and we knew the wicket was good enough,' he concluded.
Bengaluru's heist was filled with ups and downs. Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant's rollicking 118 lifted the hosts to a herculean 227/3. In reply, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt laid the foundation by exploiting Lucknow bowlers in the powerplay. Jitesh and Mayank picked up the momentum and steered Bengaluru to the franchise's highest run-chase in the tournament's history.
After finishing second in the group standings, Bengaluru has booked a date with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, while Gujarat will square off against Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator on Friday. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
OTTplay Bails And Banter Punjab vs Mumbai Pre-Match Analysis
With a place in the IPL 2025 final at stake, Punjab Kings' power hitters face off against Mumbai Indians' star-studded bowling lineup. OTTplay Presents Bails & Banter Powered by Dafa News! Your ultimate companion for IPL cricket analysis! Join cricket experts as they break down team strategies, dissect key moments, and discuss the perfect playing XI. Catch them LIVE every match day: 🕑 2:30 PM for afternoon matches 🕕 5:30 PM for evening matches Stay ahead of the game with Bails & Banter! Follow us on Instagram: / ottplayapp Credits: Indian Premier League & JioHotstar.
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Shreyas Iyer has 'got real hunger in his eyes' to prove Ajit Agarkar wrong: 'I was actually gutted, but he...'
Shreyas Iyer was among the notable exclusions from the Indian Test team that was picked earlier last month for the upcoming tour of England, but Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting felt the snub left the in-form batter more determined to prove the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee wrong. Ponting's comment came after Iyer became the second captain in history to take Punjab to the IPL final, with the franchise staring at the possibility of ending their long-standing title drought. Speaking on The ICC Review last week, the former Australia captain admitted that he was gutted not to see Iyer in the Indian Test team but revealed that the India star has accepted the disappointment and moved on from it, to help Punjab win their maiden IPL title. "I actually was gutted…but he's accepted that really well and he's moved on," Ponting said. "He's just got that real hunger in his eyes to do well every time that he plays for us here and wants to win games of cricket and wants to evolve and develop into the best leader and captain that he can be." Ponting felt that Iyer's strong performance in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, where he became India's leading run-getter and second-highest overall, and an impressive outing in the domestic red-ball season were enough for him to crack into the Indian team. "Certain other players that have been picked in that (Test) squad have done it on the back of good first-class cricket and good IPL seasons leading up to that selection and Shreyas has done absolutely everything the same as some of those other players," Ponting noted. "So I was disappointed that he didn't get picked as I actually felt that he would get picked. But he didn't. And I think that probably makes him a little bit hungrier for us when these playoff games come around." And, probably it did put Iyer in reckoning for a return to the Test side for the first time since January 2024, when he was dropped midway through the home series against England. However, Agarkar revealed that right now there was no room for him in the 18-man squad. "Yes, Shreyas Iyer has played well in domestic cricket, but at the moment, there is no room for him on the Test Team," Agarkar said in the presser in Mumbai last month after announcing the Test squad. Iyer will be seen in action on Tuesday, in the IPL 2025 final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad.
Deccan Herald
12 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
How much will winning team get? Prize money breakdown explained
The IPL final is slated to take place on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with RCB and PBKS both eager to clinch victory.
