NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli looked rooted to the spot as the crowd inside Ekana Cricket Stadium fell silent. For Lucknow Super Giants, the moment belonged to pace bowler Prince Yadav, who delivered a brutal nip-backer at 140.4 kph to dismiss Kohli and spark immediate celebrations.
Quick facts
- Match: Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (IPL 2026)
- Venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
- Prince Yadav’s pace: 140.4 kph
- Move off the pitch: swung more than 1.4 degrees
- Result: LSG won by nine runs (DLS) in a rain-reduced game of 19 overs per side
- Prince’s figures: 3/33
- Kohli’s milestone: first IPL duck in 1,110 days
- Marsh’s impact innings: 111 off 56 balls (9 fours, 9 sixes)
The ball cut back sharply, slipped through the narrow channel between bat and pad, and struck the off stump. Kohli’s expression said it all—an instant of disbelief that quickly turned into a standout wicket as Prince raised his arms in triumph.
The dismissal carried extra weight for Kohli. It was his first duck in IPL action after a long wait of 1,110 days, with the previous one coming on his first delivery against Rajasthan Royals back in April 2023.
Rain-shortened thriller swings on Prince’s spell
With the match reduced to 19 overs per team due to rain, every over carried heightened pressure. Prince’s spell—3/33—proved pivotal, helping Lucknow Super Giants defend the total and stay in contention for the playoffs.
In the end, LSG got the better of Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs under the DLS method, keeping their playoff hopes alive in a crucial encounter.
What made Kohli’s wicket even more striking was what Prince revealed after the match. The young pacer said the dismissal was set up by advice Virat himself had given him following the previous game.
Prince explained that after a poor fielding start, he had focused on resetting and maintaining concentration. He added that during conversations with Kohli, he was told to stick to a length when the ball was moving—an instruction that Prince applied to devastating effect.
“I misfielded the first ball, but I knew I had to put it behind me and ensure I don’t lose focus,” Prince said. “After the last match I was talking to Virat bhaiya and he only told me — as long as it’s moving around off a length, stick to that length.”
True to that plan, Prince began with an outswinger and then followed it up with a sharp delivery moving in. Kohli went forward tentatively, and the stumps were sent cartwheeling as the ball did exactly what Prince had been instructed to trust.
After getting one of the biggest wickets of his career, Prince reacted with an emphatic burst of celebration—punching the air as the significance of the moment sank in.
Marsh’s 111 sets up LSG, but the chase stays alive briefly
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh took control with a statement knock, blasting 111 off 56 balls. His innings featured nine fours and nine sixes, turning the RCB bowlers into a chaseable problem that still felt dangerous for the fielding side.
Lucknow finished on 209/3, and Bengaluru’s chase never truly found rhythm after early setbacks. They slumped to 9/2 when Jacob Bethell and then Kohli were dismissed, and that early damage left them playing catch-up from the start.
Rajat Patidar’s explosive 61 helped reignite the chase, and late contributions from Tim David, Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd briefly threatened to pull off the turnaround. Still, Lucknow held their nerve in the finish.
In the final over, Digvesh Rathi defended 20 runs to seal a dramatic win for Lucknow Super Giants, ensuring the rain-shortened contest ended with Prince’s spell and Marsh’s century at the centre of the story.
