Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) entered their must-win clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27 with hopes of securing a top two finish in the IPL 2025 playoffs. However, a fiery Rishabh Pant hundred, combined with some questionable captaincy and bizarre bowling changes from RCB’s stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma, has left RCB fans fearing the worst.
Pant, who has been struggling throughout the season, had only accumulated 151 runs in 13 matches before this game, with an average of just 13.72. His poor form was a big talking point, but against RCB, he found his rhythm in what seemed to be an impossible situation for his team. LSG were put in to bat by Jitesh Sharma, and with RCB aiming to win and qualify for Qualifier 1, Pant decided to turn the tables with an explosive innings. LSG finished with a huge 227 on board after Pant’s unbeaten 118 off 61 balls.
Pant, batting at No. 3, smashed RCB’s bowlers all around the park, putting on a massive 152-run partnership in just 78 balls with Mitchell Marsh. The Rishabh Pant hundred began with a circumspect start that eventually soared in confidence after his fifty.
The onslaught began with Pant reaching his fifty in just 29 balls, and before he was dismissed, he added another 43 runs off 16 balls. He sealed his hundred off just 54 balls as LSG soared past 200 easily. Pant’s knock was a massive turnaround for a player who had been enduring one of the poorest seasons of his career.
This spectacular performance left RCB’s hopes of making it to Qualifier 1 hanging by a thread. With LSG putting up a daunting total, the task ahead for RCB is now monumental, with the batting depth of Pant and Marsh leaving RCB struggling to find an answer. Pant’s knock was an inopportune blow for RCB’s plans, especially with the team needing to secure a top two finish to avoid the Eliminator.
While Pant took charge, RCB’s bowlers were left with little to work with. Nuwan Thushara, who had replaced Lungi Ngidi (missing due to World Test Championship final preparations), made a promising start with the new ball, extracting great movement and delivering key breakthroughs. But he had minimal support from the rest of the bowling attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Suyash Sharma struggled to contain the scoring rate, and Krunal Pandya, who was arguably RCB’s best bowler, was used for just two overs.
This was just Rishabh Pant’s second century in IPL. His previous one came for Delhi Capitals against SRH in 2018. Then, Pant smashed 128* off just 63 balls. Here, Pant was again in his elements after a horrid season to end IPL 0225 on a high and raise hopes of a retention ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
| Runs (Balls) | Opposition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 128* (63) | SRH | 2018 |
| 118* (61) | RCB | 2025 |
| 97 (43) | Guj Lions | 2017 |
| 88* (43) | GT | 2024 |
| 85 (48) | RCB | 2018 |
| 79 (45) | CSK | 2018 |
| 78* (36) | RR | 2019 |
| 78* (27) | MI | 2019 |
The most glaring issue, however, was RCB’s inability to utilize Krunal Pandya’s strengths against both left and right handers. While left-hander is a strong match-up against left-arm spinners, Pant clearly struggles against spinners and Krunal is a good defensive bowler. But Jitesh Sharma’s decision to bowl him sparingly was a baffling choice, particularly with the scoreboard rapidly escalating. Furthermore, Bhuvneshwar Kumar—who swings the ball beautifully—was inexplicably kept out of the attack at crucial points, including not being handed the new ball, leading to even more frustration among fans.
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RCB’s mismanagement of their bowling resources and Jitesh Sharma’s captaincy decisions have raised questions about whether the team is prepared for the pressure of the IPL 2025 playoffs. With Pant’s turnaround performance and RCB’s mistakes, RCB’s playoff chances are now on a knife’s edge. Jitesh’s captaincy received plenty of flak from fans as RCB sunk to Pant’s pyrotechnics.
As RCB heads into the second half of the match, they find themselves needing a monumental chase to salvage their playoff hopes. With Pant’s aggressive display and some questionable decisions from the captaincy, RCB’s quest for Qualifier 1 seems more complicated than ever.
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