Anshul Kamboj had been enjoying a memorable IPL 2026 campaign until Lucknow on Friday, where Mitchell Marsh\u2019s destructive streak and Nicholas Pooran\u2019s timing in the moment left him reeling.<\/p>\n
In the third over of the Lucknow Super Giants\u2019 innings, Kamboj conceded just 11 runs in his opening spell of the match. However, the fifth over brought a sudden shift. Marsh punished him for 28 in that over, striking 6, 6, 6 and 6 off the first four balls. On the fifth delivery, Kamboj\u2019s foot came in the way of what looked like another heavy hit, but the over still ended with a four. After that, Kamboj was pushed well away from the action before coming back in the 17th over, when Chennai Super Kings were left with only 24 runs to protect. Pooran did the same early damage as Marsh, smashing 6, 6, 6 and 6 off the opening four balls, and the contest was effectively sealed from there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guy has been bowling so well throughout the season, so you\u2019re always going to have a bad day,\u201d Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo\u2019s TimeOut show. \u201cIt\u2019s like getting a duck\u2014you\u2019re getting a golden duck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rayudu added: \u201cWhen you look at most of the balls he bowled, apart from that last delivery in the [fifth] over to Mitch Marsh [down the leg side], most of the other balls were decent. Decent deliveries. It\u2019s just some unbelievable hitting. He\u2019s run into Mitch Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, and those two are clearly finding form.\u201d<\/p>\n
From LSG\u2019s perspective, the spell also served as a reminder of what might have been, had Marsh and Pooran\u2014two key batting pillars for the franchise last season\u2014arrived in IPL 2026 earlier rather than hitting their stride later.<\/p>\n
Mitchell McClenaghan pointed out how unforgiving T20 bowling can be. \u201cThat\u2019s where it sucks to be a bowler, I have to say,\u201d he said. \u201cA batter can be having a terrible day and then suddenly get sweet\u2014just hit one straight up.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cThat\u2019s hard. It\u2019s basically the perfect storm, isn\u2019t it? You\u2019ve got Mitch Marsh, who\u2019s in good form. You\u2019ve got LSG out of the competition. So you\u2019ve got a player who doesn\u2019t mind getting out because it doesn\u2019t carry the same pressure for the tournament. He\u2019s just swinging.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marsh struck a brilliant 90 off 38 balls, while Pooran finished unbeaten on 32 from 17 deliveries. Pooran was on 8 off 13 balls before he launched the final assault on Kamboj. LSG ultimately defeated CSK by seven wickets with 20 balls still remaining.<\/p>\n
Rayudu suggested CSK lacked a few \u201csmart heads\u201d on the field\u2014experienced voices who could have steadied Kamboj when the situation went wrong. He specifically hinted at MS Dhoni.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at CSK at the ground, there don\u2019t seem to be that many smart heads, experienced heads,\u201d Rayudu said. \u201cPlayers who can control things\u2014go up to him and give him a quick pat, like: \u2018Boss, just wait, hang on for ten seconds, tie your laces up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThere aren\u2019t many cricket smarts out there, except maybe Sanju [Samson]. And he\u2019s generally not the kind of person who\u2026 it\u2019s too far away. It\u2019s not like he will step in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rayudu proposed a different approach as well. \u201cMaybe you ask him what a slower ball can do\u2014do you think it will work? So that clicks his thinking,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t ever suggest it directly. Just ask a question: \u2018Do you think we can go that route? Do you think we can bowl a yorker now? Do you think it will work?\u2019 You change the chain of thought. Just get him out of that moment\u2014don\u2019t let him get lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
McClenaghan agreed. \u201cI think that\u2019s a really good point,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s almost frustrating when the keeper comes up because it looks bad. It almost feels worse. But you\u2019re right\u2014you need a senior leader at mid-on or mid-off to do that. Like the guys around the world who do it so well: Chris Jordan and the [Kieron] Pollards, those sort of players. You know\u2026 just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
As it turned out, Kamboj returned figures of 0 for 63 from 2.4 overs. For a bowler who had 19 wickets in the season and was still third on the Purple Cap standings, it felt like a heavy jolt back to earth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Anshul Kamboj had been enjoying a memorable IPL 2026 campaign until Lucknow on Friday, where Mitchell Marsh\u2019s destructive streak and Nicholas Pooran\u2019s timing in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Marsh, Pooran Crush Kamboj as LSG Win","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Mitchell Marsh\u2019s brutal 5-over onslaught and Nicholas Pooran\u2019s calm finish leave Anshul Kamboj in trouble as LSG beat him in IPL 2026.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n