Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya and Lucknow Super Giants batter Nicholas Pooran created a moment of tension during their IPL 2026 match in Lucknow on Thursday, but the incident quickly gave way to a calmer post-game exchange.
Heat on the field, then a handshake off it
- Krunal delivered a bouncer to Pooran, and the Lucknow batter swatted it straight down the ground.
- The ball carried only until it fell short of the long-on fielder, allowing Pooran to take a single.
- As Pooran turned to head for the other end, Krunal closed in and the two shared a heated verbal exchange.
- Although it looked like the matter would end there, both players were later spotted together during the post-match scenes.
- Social media circulated a clip showing Pooran grabbing Krunal by his collar, though the moment appeared to remain controlled.
- In the closing phase of the contest, the discussion seemed to end positively, with both players exchanging a handshake.
While the Pooran-Krunal spat grabbed attention, the bigger storyline of the night belonged to Mitchell Marsh and Prince Yadav as Lucknow Super Giants kept their playoff hopes alive with a tight nine-run DLS victory over RCB in a rain-affected clash.
LSG’s DLS win in a rain-curtailed contest
- There were three separate rain interruptions, together delaying the game by close to an hour.
- As a result, the match was reduced to 19 overs per side.
- LSG’s win snapped their six-match losing streak and also marked their first home triumph of the season.
Asked to bat first, Marsh launched a dominant innings, smashing a century at a pace of 111 off 56 balls. Despite repeated stoppages that disrupted LSG’s momentum, they managed to post 209 for 3. With rain costing time, the target was revised to 213 for RCB after one over was lost.
In response, Lucknow’s bowlers—led by Prince Yadav’s figures of 3 for 33—held their nerve to limit the defending champions to 203 for 6, securing the nine-run victory under the DLS method.
Key breakthroughs and the late fightback
- Mohammed Shami struck in the opening over, removing Jacob Bethell early.
- Prince Yadav then produced a sensational delivery three balls later, getting Virat Kohli rattled.
- RCB slipped to 9 for 2, but Devdutt Padikkal (34) and captain Rajat Patidar (61) steadied the innings.
- The pair added 95 runs for the third wicket, giving RCB a platform before the pressure returned.
- At a critical moment, LSG captain Pant brought Prince back into the attack and the change immediately paid off.
- Prince dismissed Padikkal with the first ball of the over, then removed Jitesh Sharma soon after.
- Patidar fell four balls later as Aiden Markram completed a sharp running catch, triggering a brief collapse with three wickets falling quickly.
- Tim David, Krunal Pandya (28 not out) and Romario Shepherd (23 not out) kept RCB in contention with late hitting.
- Even with the chase tightening, Digvesh held his composure, defending 20 runs in the final over to seal the result.
