IPL 2026 delivered a dramatic jolt on Sunday as the league staged its first Super Over of the season. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohammed Shami played a decisive role in dragging the game into the tie, smashing a last-ball six against Kolkata Knight Riders. With both sides finishing level on 155 apiece after 40 overs, the match moved to the tiebreaker\u2014an unusual turn that saw Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram walk out to bat in the Super Over against KKR veteran Sunil Narine.<\/p>\n
Pooran had endured a tough run in IPL 2026 before that moment, registering scores of 8, 1, 13, 19, 1, 9 and 22 in previous outings. In the regular innings he was dismissed for 9, yet Lucknow still backed him to take on Narine in the sudden-death over. The gamble lasted only a single delivery: Pooran was bowled on the first ball of the Super Over, and KKR immediately capitalised on the momentum swing. On the third ball, Markram was dismissed as well, leaving KKR with a target of just two runs. Rinku Singh then struck a four off the opening ball of KKR\u2019s chase in the Super Over, sealing a memorable win.<\/p>\n
The decision to use Pooran in that tiebreaker drew sharp criticism from South African fast-bowling great Dale Steyn. He described it as a \u201ccriminal decision,\u201d arguing that it could have gone either way but insisting that, at this stage of the tournament, teams should prioritise players who have been producing. Steyn added that backing a batter who has been hitting the ball out of the ground makes more sense, and questioned whether Pooran himself would believe he could turn the match with the form he had shown. He also called it unfortunate, pointing out that when a side is trying to get its season back on track, such mistakes should not be made at that level.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the match, both Super Giants and Knight Riders were locked at 155 after the full 40 overs were completed. KKR\u2019s total of 155 for 7 was driven by Rinku Singh\u2019s calm, controlled knock of 83 not out off 51 balls, which turned the chase into a competitive contest. Once Lucknow managed to keep KKR to that figure\u2014helped by Mohsin Khan\u2019s five-wicket haul\u2014they had a strong opening to secure a rare win at home.<\/p>\n
But the chase did not unfold as hoped for the hosts. On a slow black-soil pitch, Lucknow struggled to find consistent rhythm against a disciplined Kolkata bowling unit. The outcome pushed KKR up to eighth in the points table with five points, while Lucknow slid to the bottom with four points.<\/p>\n
Lucknow entered the match with a squad featuring several high-profile names, including captain Rishabh Pant, Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Pooran, yet none of them were able to provide the kind of structure or acceleration needed in the run chase. Pant and Markram looked to be settling in after Marsh\u2019s early departure, adding 57 runs for the second wicket. Pant made 42 and Markram contributed 31, but the partnership was broken when Markram fell to Cameron Green\u2019s pace-off delivery. Pant then attempted a reverse scoop off Narine, only for the ball to be taken by wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, ending his innings.<\/p>\n
From there, the task fell to younger domestic players\u2014Ayush Badoni, Himmat Singh and Mukul Choudhary\u2014who kept Lucknow within touching distance. They reduced the equation to 17 needed off the final over, mixing determination with a bit of luck. Kartik Tyagi then delivered two consecutive no-balls, which further narrowed the chase to 12 required from the last five balls. Although Tyagi bowled two waist-high no-balls, he was allowed to continue after the second was judged non-dangerous by the officials. He dismissed Himmat Singh, leaving Lucknow needing eight off the final three deliveries, but Shami\u2019s last-ball six ensured the match could not be finished in regulation time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IPL 2026 delivered a dramatic jolt on Sunday as the league staged its first Super Over of the season. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohammed Shami…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Shami\u2019s Super Over Drama\u2014LSG vs KKR Tie","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Shami\u2019s last-ball six forces IPL 2026 Super Over as LSG and KKR tie in a thriller, with Pooran-Markram facing Narine in the decider.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n