RCB vs LSG Match 23 Results

5:50 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Josh Hazlewood wins the award for his excellent spell of 1/20 in 4 overs. On his rhythm and fitness, he says he feels much better and is pleased to be in good shape. On his ability to pick the right length, he details it was a combination of factors, including the opposition, the players at the other end, and the conditions. He notes that the surface was quite slow with variable bounce, so he focused on hitting the right areas consistently to get results. He also calls it an all-round team effort, adding that the other bowlers were outstanding. On not relying on too many variations, he admits that he would like to have more funky deliveries but says that with his rhythmic, more classical action, it can be challenging at times. He stresses that he continues to work on his slower balls and is always looking to add to his arsenal and keep improving.

5:49 PM IST The journey continues - No rest days in the IPL as the caravan keeps moving along. Next up, we have another humdinger of a contest in the making. Wankhede will be in action once again as Mumbai Indians, searching for momentum and wins, face the only unbeaten team this season, Punjab Kings. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). Our buildup, as usual, begins in advance. So do join us for that as well. Until then, we sign off. Ta-ta, stay safe. Cheers!

5:45 PM IST RCB outfox LSG - Fifth consecutive win at home for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and they are making a habit of winning with authority in their title defence. Interestingly, they have won their first game in last three against LSG at Chinnaswamy. They have the momentum as they go top of the table and will next host Delhi Capitals on Saturday, 18th April, at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT). Lucknow Super Giants, on the other hand, have a lot of soul-searching to do, especially with their batting approach. With too many players out of touch, they do look thin right now. They will get back to the drawing board and will travel to Mullanpur to face Punjab Kings on Sunday, 19th April, at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), aiming to get back to winning ways.

5:43 PM IST A flight that never took off - On an uncharacteristic Chinnaswamy surface, the toss proved crucial. Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram couldn't put on a dominant opening stand yet again. While Marsh, Ayush Badoni and Mukul Chaudhary made useful contributions, none could shift the pressure back as RCB just kept mounting pressure, hunting in a pack with regular wickets. Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar set the tone by strangling the Powerplay, before Suyash and Krunal took over with clever variations through the middle. Rasikh's four-for and Bhuvneshwar’s three-wicket haul sealed the all-round bowling effort, while Hazlewood’s miserly 1/20 stood out despite just one wicket. Rishabh Pant’s injury after taking a couple of body blows and being retired hurt only compounded LSG’s struggles.

5:39 PM IST Royal Challengers rule Chinnaswamy - A comfortable win for RCB, another win at home and they move to the top of the points table with just one blip so far. An overall dominant performance by them to outclass the Super Giants, who looked like they never arrived in the contest. Yes, they picked a few quick wickets, but the fate was written on the wall by then. Honestly, they just didn't have enough runs on the board, which will bring their batting department under the scanner now.

5:39 PM IST The victorious captain of RCB - Rajat Patidar starts off by talking about the bowling and feels that the way the pacers hit the deck was amazing to watch. On Krunal Pandya, Rajat says that he's a courageous bowler and so is Suyash Sharma. On Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he says that when you have a T20 specialist like him, it gives you the peace of mind as a captain. On RCB's fielding, Rajat says that they always worked hard on that aspect and is happy with it. Ends by saying that they are taking it one game at a time and not thinking too far ahead for now.