In a nerve-wracking finish that left Rajasthan Royals and their fans stunned, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) edged out a 2-run victory in a match that swung wildly in the final moments. Chasing 181, the Royals were cruising for the majority of the game — until they weren’t.
Rajasthan’s chase was powered by an electrifying start from their young opening duo. Making headlines was 14-year-old debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who stamped his arrival in style with a six off his very first ball in the IPL. The left-hander went on to score a confident 34 off 20 balls, lighting up the stadium and fueling what seemed like a comfortable run chase.
𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆. 𝐀. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 🫡
Welcome to #TATAIPL, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 🤝
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 19, 2025
The Royals looked in complete control, needing just 25 runs from the last three overs with eight wickets in hand. LSG’s most consistent bowler of the season, Digvesh Rathi, surprisingly went wicketless, leaving the pressure to fall squarely on the shoulders of Avesh Khan.
Turning the match on its head in the 18th over, he dismissed both Jaiswal and Riyan Parag, the set batters in quick succession. That opened the door for a dramatic finish.
Middle stump uprooted 💥
Avesh Khan brings an end to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s knock of 74 (52).
Can #LSG capitalize on this momentum shift?
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Shimron Hetmyer brought the Royals back into the contest with a couple of crisp boundaries in the penultimate over bowled by Prince, bringing the equation down to 9 runs off 6 balls — a familiar scenario for both sides after a similar finish in their previous encounters. But Avesh Khan, with ice in his veins, bowled a near-perfect final over, giving away just 6 runs and sealing a last-gasp victory for Lucknow.
Earlier in the first innings, Just when it looked like Rajasthan Royals had firm control with a clinical display through the death overs, Abdul Samad flipped the script with a final-over onslaught that saw LSG post a challenging 180/5. The Royals, who had conceded only 48 runs between overs 13 and 19, were left stunned as Sandeep Sharma’s final over unraveled dramatically, going for 27 runs.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Riyan Parag(c), Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), David Miller, Abdul Samad, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan
Head-To-Head Record
RR hold a 4-1 advantage over LSG, but the visitors’ only win against the Royals came at this very venue last year — a stat they will look to replicate.
