What if Rishabh Pant hadn’t withdrawn his run-out appeal on Jitesh Sharma? Could RCB have lost?

In the blockbuster clash between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Tuesday evening, an incident involving Jitesh Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Digvesh Rathi’s run-out request at the non-striker’s end, which was later dropped, drew a lot of attention. However, with RCB chasing a big target of 228, an incident in the 17th over had the potential to influence the game’s outcome.

The incident occurred at the conclusion of the 17th over, when LSG spinner Digvesh Rathi noticed RCB’s stand-in skipper, Jitesh, outside the crease at the non-striker’s end. Without throwing the ball, Rathi turned back and removed the bails, attempting a lawful run-out under cricket rules. The on-field umpire confirmed Rathi’s intention to proceed with the appeal, prompting a TV umpire review.

Ulhas Gandhe, the third umpire, declared the hitter not out, saying Rathi had completed his delivery stride, which meant he had passed the point at which a run-out at the non-striker’s end could be lawfully affected. Even before the final decision was shown on the big screen,

LSG captain Rishabh Pant was spotted withdrawing his appeal. He gestured towards the umpires and then hugged Jitesh.

However, at the time of the event, RCB required 30 runs off 20 balls, and if Jitesh had been dismissed while on 57 off 25, the team still had a reasonable chance of winning the game. Mayank Agarwal, who was on 38, seemed comfortable at the crease, and the team still had big hitters like Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya to follow.

Both Shepherd and Krunal have had match-winning performances this season, and with LSG’s bowlers struggling on the day, it’s reasonable to think RCB had the firepower to chase down the target even if Jitesh was out. Jitesh went on to score an unbeaten 85 off only 33 balls, completing the chase with eight balls to spare, making it RCB’s most successful chase ever and the third highest in IPL history. Mayank provided excellent support, scoring 41* off 23.