An exhilarating exhibition of six-hitting in both halves was followed by intense drama in the last two overs in what was a see-saw battle that went the distance.

In the end, it was the Lucknow Super Giants who had the last laugh as they prevailed over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by one wicket, chasing down a huge 213-run target off the last ball of the game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Monday.

Put into bat, Virat Kohli (61 off 44 balls), his opening partner and skipper Faf du Plessis (79 not out off 46 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (59 off 29 balls) knocked the wind out of the sails of Super Giants’ bowlers to power RCB to 212/2. In reply, Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30 balls) and the under-rated Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19 balls) produced equally blazing knocks with able support from Impact Player Ayush Badoni (30 off 24 balls) as the Super Giants raced towards the target. But then began the drama, from the penultimate over of the contest.

Marcus Stoinis laying the foundation for the win with his 30-ball 65 against RCB at the Chinnaswamy on Monday. PTI picture

Badoni hit Wayne Parnell for a four over mid-wicket to reduce the equation to seven required off nine balls. Off the next ball, he played the ramp shot that went all the way for a six, but Badoni’s bat dislodged the bails while he executed the shot.

RCB tried to sneak their way back into the game, but it was still the Super Giants’ to lose as they needed only five off the final over. Due to slow over rate, RCB were penalised and couldn’t keep more than four fielders outside the 30-yard circle. But nerves began to show as Mark Wood tried a wild slog off Harshal Patel and was bowled. The Super Giants still needed four to win off as many balls with two wickets in hand.

Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was calm enough to take three of the next two balls and give the strike over to the experienced Jaydev Unadkat. But Unadkat mindlessly went for an aerial stroke and holed out at long-on when all he needed to do was just place the ball for a single, which would have been enough for his team.

There was more drama to come in the last ball. Harshal, seeing non-striker Bishnoi way out of the crease, tried to run him out but missed the bails. When he re-bowled that delivery, Lucknow’s No.11 Avesh Khan failed to connect but he and Bishnoi ran as if there was no tomorrow. RCB could still have forced a Super Over had keeper Dinesh Karthik collected the ball cleanly. But he fumbled, much to the relief of the Super Giants.

This was the Super Giants’ third win in four matches.

Precisely, this game was another instance of RCB’s bowlers failing to back up the good work done by the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Parnell with the new ball. After Kohli, Du Plessis and Maxwell’s contributions with the bat, Siraj and Parnell had reduced Super Giants to 23/3 in four overs. But the rest surrendered meekly when Stoinis and Pooran kept unleashing the sixes.