LUCKNOW, India, May 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Skipper Jitesh Sharma hammered an unbeaten 85 and Virat Kohli hit 54 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into qualifier 1 of the IPL playoffs with a six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday.

Bengaluru chased down 228 to go second in the 10-team table in the last league match of this season and set up a meeting with table-toppers Punjab Kings on Thursday.

The result pushed Gujarat Titans into third spot. They will face Mumbai Indians in the eliminator on Friday.

The winners of qualifier 1 go straight to the final on June 3 but the losers have a second chance of joining them as they will face the winner of the eliminator in qualifier 2 to decide who will head to Ahmedabad.

Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant signed off with an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls in his team's 227-3, but Bengaluru knocked off the target with eight balls to spare.

Kohli set up the chase with his 30-ball knock and after his departure stand-in-skipper Jitesh put on an unbeaten stand of 107 with Mayank Agarwal, who hit 41, to trump Lucknow, who were already out of the playoffs.

"I will not be able to express my thoughts, I can't believe I played that knock," said player of the match Jitesh. "When Virat bhai (brother) was out, I was just thinking of taking it deep."

The 36-year-old Kohli, who earlier this month announced his Test retirement alongside Rohit Sharma, went past 9,000 runs for Bengaluru -- the most by a batsman for one team in men's T20 cricket. The next is Rohit's 6,060 for Mumbai.

- Pant in vain -

Kohli put on 61 with opening partner Phil Salt, who made 30, but the chase wobbled after Lucknow hit back with wickets, New Zealand quick Will O'Rourke taking two in two balls.

O'Rourke sent back regular skipper and impact substitute Rajat Patidar, for 14, and next ball had Liam Livingstone, leg before for a golden duck.

Jitesh turned things around with his first IPL fifty. He hit eight fours and six sixes, including the winning hit over the fence, in his 33-ball knock.

Earlier Pant, who struggled for runs after being brought by Lucknow for a record $3.21 million in the auction, saved his best for last as he hit his season-best score.

But it was not enough and he said, "Eventually you've got to play 40 overs of good cricket. Twenty overs aren't going to save you."

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, a swashbuckling left-hander, reached his 100 in 54 balls and celebrated with a somersault. He had scored only 151 runs from 12 previous innings and averaged just 13.72.

Pant led the charge in a 152-run second-wicket stand with Mitchell Marsh, who hit 67 off 37 balls, after the captain promoted himself to number three in the batting order.

Pant, who hit 11 fours and eight sixes in his 61-ball knock, went past his previous best of 63 this season but Bengaluru and Kohli had the last laugh as they hunt for their first IPL title.