The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium witnessed a spectacle of resilience and raw power on Thursday. In the 50th match of the IPL 2026 season, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) halted their six-match losing streak with a pulsating 9-run victory (via DLS method) over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). While Mitchell Marsh’s brutal century set the foundation, the night will be remembered for a young Prince Yadav, who turned the tide by dismissing the legendary Virat Kohli for a duck.
Prince Yadav opens up on who planned Virat Kohli’s crucial duck in IPL 2026
The atmosphere in Lucknow was electric, yet the tension was palpable for the home side. Chasing a revised target of 213 in 19 overs, RCB needed a steady start. However, Prince had other plans. In a post-match presentation that felt more like a masterclass in humility, Prince revealed that the blueprint for Kohli’s dismissal actually came from the man himself.
“I misfielded the first ball, but I knew I had to put it behind me and ensure I don’t lose focus,” Prince stated in the post-match press conference.
In a surprising revelation, he credited a conversation with Kohli from their previous encounter for his success. “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. We lost six consecutive matches but will continue to put in efforts,” he added.
Following his own advice, Prince hit that nagging length, forcing a rare error from Kohli, who departed for a 2-ball duck. It was a poetic moment of a mentor’s advice being used by a protégé to secure a vital breakthrough.
A wicket that became the talk of the town 🔥
Born from 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 from the man himself 🤝🙌
🎥 Hear from Prince Yadav on THAT dismissal of Virat Kohli 👌#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #LSGvRCB | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/kiNaEIuLlU
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 7, 2026
Prince’s outstanding spell dismantles RCB’s chase
While Marsh was the undisputed Player of the Match for his blistering 111 off 56 balls, a knock decorated with 9 boundaries and 9 towering sixes, it was the bowling unit that had to defend the total of 209/3.
The RCB chase began to crumble early. Mohammed Shami removed Jacob Bethell in the first over, but the knockout blow came from Prince. His figures of 3/33 in 4 overs were the backbone of LSG’s defense. After silencing Kohli, Prince returned to remove a well-set Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 25) and Jitesh Sharma (13) in the same over (the 11th), effectively breaking the spine of the RCB middle order.
Despite a valiant effort from Rajat Patidar, who smashed 61 off 31 balls, and late cameos from Tim David (40) and Krunal Pandya (28*), RCB fell just short. LSG’s disciplined death bowling, spearheaded by Shami and Prince, ensured that the 200-run milestone reached by RCB wasn’t enough to steal the points. For Lucknow, this win is more than just two points; it is a statement of intent as the tournament nears its business end.
