Prince Yadav described the moment he dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck on the very first stretch of the chase as “special,” yet he made it clear that Lucknow Super Giants’ win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru was the bigger prize. In a rain-affected, high-scoring IPL 2026 contest at Lucknow on Thursday night, LSG edged RCB by nine runs, with Prince striking early to remove Kohli for just two balls.
Prince Yadav’s reaction and what the wicket meant
- Prince said he felt pleased immediately after getting Kohli out, but stressed that the satisfaction came from the team result rather than an individual milestone.
- He added that even if he had taken the wicket but LSG had lost, it would not have felt as impactful, underlining that winning together mattered most to him.
- Speaking at the post-match press conference, the right-arm pacer reiterated that delivering for the side was his priority.
The young fast bowler also discussed how his conversations with Lucknow’s bowling leadership have been shaping his approach. He cited regular interaction with bowling coach Bharat Arun and noted that veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami is part of those exchanges as well.
- Prince said the discussions have been ongoing and productive, with Shami present in the communication loop.
- He explained that the focus remains squarely on what to deliver and how to execute skills during matches.
- He further credited Shami for helping him grasp the finer details of bowling with the new ball.
- Prince added that Shami boosts the confidence of younger bowlers, thanks to the experience he brings onto the field.
- He highlighted that Shami positions himself at mid-on or mid-off while bowlers are working, creating a “different level” of assurance for the pacer.
How the match unfolded
- RCB’s chase was derailed early when Prince removed Virat Kohli cheaply, giving LSG an important opening in the run chase.
- LSG still built a strong platform after the rain interruptions reduced the game, reaching 209/3 in 19 overs.
- Marsh powered the innings with a dominant 111 off 56 balls, striking nine fours and nine sixes to drive LSG toward the top end of the target.
- RCB fought back after losing two early wickets, sparked by a 95-run partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and captain Rajat Patidar.
- Padikkal contributed 34 off 25 balls, including three fours and one six, while Patidar struck 61 off 31 balls with three fours and six maximums as the chase gained momentum.
- Despite the recovery, RCB could not quite reach the finish line as Tim David (40 off 17 balls with four boundaries and three sixes), Krunal Pandya (28* off 16 with two fours and two sixes) and Romario Shepherd (23* off 15 with three fours and one six) kept pushing the target requirement down.
- In the end, the defending champions fell nine runs short, handing LSG a thrilling win.
Standings impact
- LSG moved to their third victory of the season, with seven defeats still on the record, and remained rooted at the bottom of the points table.
- RCB slipped to third place after losing their fourth match of the tournament.
