RCB vs LSG bowling bursts
In RCB vs LSG action, Krunal Pandya took two early wickets to put LSG on the back foot, while Josh Hazlewood’s powerplay numbers since last season (best economy 7.6, average 17.9, strike rate 14.2) were noted as a continued influence. (x.com) Social coverage flagged Pandya’s quick strikes as a tactical pivot for the match. (x.com)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers turned the match inside the first 12 overs on April 15, with Krunal Pandya removing Mitchell Marsh and Abdul Samad as Lucknow Super Giants slid to 83 for 5 in Bengaluru. (espncricinfo.com) Krunal dismissed Marsh for 40 in the 10th over and had Samad out for 0 two balls into his next over, finishing with 2 for 14 from three overs at that stage of the innings. (espncricinfo.com) Josh Hazlewood added the wicket of Nicholas Pooran for 1 and conceded 14 runs in his first 3.3 overs, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Rishabh Pant and later took two wickets in the 19th over. Lucknow finished on 145 for 9 in 19.3 overs on the live scorecard. (espncricinfo.com) The match started with Royal Challengers Bengaluru choosing to field at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a ground where fast starts from batters often force captains to chase wickets early. Royal Challengers entered the game in third place, with Lucknow in seventh and only two points separating the teams before the night began. (iplt20.com) (espncricinfo.com) Hazlewood’s control in the first six overs had already become part of Royal Challengers’ season profile. ESPNcricinfo’s match coverage noted that since the start of the 2025 season, he led major powerplay metrics among regular bowlers with an economy rate of 7.6, an average of 17.9 and a strike rate of 14.2. (espncricinfo.com) Krunal’s spell fit the same plan from a different angle. Royal Challengers used a left-arm spinner against Lucknow’s right-heavy middle order, and the two wickets came after Marsh had carried the innings through the first half. (espncricinfo.com) Lucknow still had one repair job in the lower order. Mukul Choudhary made 39 from 28 balls and Ayush Badoni scored 38 from 24, but the side lost four wickets for 27 runs from 118 for 5 to 145 for 9. (espncricinfo.com) By the innings break, the story was not one long collapse but three short bursts: Rasikh Salam’s early strikes, Hazlewood’s squeeze on Pooran, and Krunal’s double hit at the point Lucknow were trying to rebuild. (espncricinfo.com)
