The hum of the crowd at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium was unmistakable—a constant, electric buzz that usually precedes a high-scoring thriller. But tonight, things started a bit differently. Rajat Patidar, leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru, won the toss and didn’t hesitate to send Lucknow Super Giants in to bat. It felt like the right call, honestly, given the history of the pitch, but the early flow was anything but smooth.

Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram managed to find the ropes with some massive sixes, which got the fans going for a moment. But just as things were looking up, Markram was gone for 12. He took a leading edge off a full toss from Rasikh Salam, and that was that—caught at cover. The momentum sort of just… leaked away after that.

Then came Josh Hazlewood. The Australian veteran was practically unplayable. He bowled two spells—wait, no, two overs—that only cost six runs. It wasn’t just the economy; it was the pressure. He actually managed to send LSG captain Rishabh Pant back to the dugout with a nasty blow to his elbow. Seeing a skipper walk off like that, clutching his arm, puts a real damper on the mood in the dressing room. I hope he’s okay, but it didn’t look great.

So, at the end of the Power Play, LSG crawled to 35-1. Marsh had 22 from 19, and Nicholas Pooran was struggling to find his rhythm, sitting on a single from six balls. It was a sluggish start for a side that usually loves to fire early. Misryoum reports that the visitors are clearly feeling the heat under the lights.

Looking at the lineups, RCB has Salt and Padikkal opening, while LSG relies on that Marsh and Pant combination—well, what’s left of it now. The depth in the bowling for Bengaluru is looking particularly sharp with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hazlewood anchoring the attack. It’s tough to say if 35-1 is a sign of a collapse or just a cautious start against a tight bowling line. Actually, maybe it’s a bit of both.

There’s still a lot of cricket left to play, provided the elbow injury to the captain doesn’t ripple through the batting order too much. We’ll have to see if Pooran can kick into gear after the break.