Desk Correspondent , Lucknow -  Lucknow Super Giants kept their playoff hopes alive in Indian Premier League 2026 with a thrilling nine-run DLS victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-hit encounter on Thursday. In a match interrupted three times by rain and reduced to 19 overs per side, Lucknow rode on a sensational century from Mitchell Marsh and a match-winning spell from young pacer Prince Yadav to snap a six-match losing streak and register their first home win of the season.

Asked to bat, LSG posted 209/3, powered by Marsh’s blistering 111 off 56 balls, an innings studded with nine fours and nine sixes. The Australian dominated from the outset, racing to his fastest IPL fifty in just 20 balls and stitching crucial partnerships — 95 runs with Arshin Kulkarni (17) and 70 runs with Nicholas Pooran (38). Skipper Rishabh Pant then provided the late flourish with a quickfire 32 not out off just 10 balls. Rain interruptions, however, altered the equation, revising the target to 213 for RCB. In reply, RCB were rocked early as Mohammed Shami struck in the opening over, dismissing Jacob Bethell. Moments later, Prince Yadav produced a stunning delivery to clean bowl Virat Kohli for a duck — his first in the IPL since 2023. Reduced to 9/2, RCB fought back through a 95-run stand between Devdutt Padikkal (34) and captain Rajat Patidar (61). Patidar, in particular, counterattacked brilliantly, smashing boundaries and sixes to swing momentum briefly in RCB’s favour. 

Just when the chase looked on track, Pant’s decision to reintroduce Prince proved decisive. The pacer struck immediately, removing Padikkal with a caught-and-bowled effort and then dismissing Jitesh Sharma. Patidar soon followed, triggering a collapse that derailed RCB’s chase. Late fireworks from Tim David, Krunal Pandya (28*) and Romario Shepherd (23*) kept RCB in the hunt, but LSG held their nerve in the final over, successfully defending 20 runs. Prince finished with impressive figures of 3/33 and later revealed that advice from Kohli himself played a role in his prized wicket. “After the last match, I was talking to Virat bhaiya and he told me to stick to that length if the ball is moving. I followed that,” he said.

Despite the loss, RCB showed resilience, but the night ultimately belonged to LSG — with Marsh’s explosive ton and Prince’s composure under pressure proving the difference in a high-scoring, rain-affected thriller.