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NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli stood frozen in disbelief. So did the packed Ekana Cricket Stadium.Lucknow Super Giants pacer Prince Yadav produced one of the deliveries of IPL 2026 on Thursday night, knocking over the RCB superstar with a vicious 140.4 kph nip-backer that left Kohli completely stunned. The ball swung more than 1.4 degrees, sneaked through the gap between bat and pad, and crashed into the off-stump as Prince erupted in celebration.
The dismissal marked Kohli’s first duck in the IPL in 1110 days, dating back to his first-ball dismissal against Rajasthan Royals in April 2023.In a rain-curtailed contest reduced to 19 overs per side, Prince’s magical spell of 3/33 played a decisive role as Lucknow Super Giants defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs via DLS method to keep their playoff hopes alive.WATCH:What made the dismissal even more remarkable was Prince’s revelation after the match. The young pacer admitted that the wicket came from advice given by Kohli himself after the previous game.“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.”Prince followed that exact plan. After opening with an outswinger, he bowled a sharp incoming delivery next ball. Kohli pushed forward uncertainly, only to see his stumps shattered.The 24-year-old punched the air wildly after claiming one of the biggest wickets of his career.
Marsh’s century powers LSG comeback win
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh unleashed carnage on the RCB attack with a sensational 111 off 56 balls, smashing nine fours and nine sixes to propel LSG to 209/3.RCB’s chase never fully recovered after slipping to 9/2 following the dismissals of Jacob Bethell and Kohli. Rajat Patidar’s explosive 61 and late fireworks from Tim David, Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd briefly revived hopes, but Digvesh Rathi defended 20 runs in the final over to secure a dramatic victory for Lucknow.
