Before Friday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had won all four of their IPL 1026 matches while chasing, largely powered by Virat Kohli’s red-hot form, scoring 222 runs at an average of 111 in successful run-chases. But on May 7, the script flipped completely. For the first time in a chase this season, Kohli failed and RCB paid the price.
LSG vs RCB: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
The architect of that turnaround was Prince Yadav, who produced a dream spell, including the prize wicket of Kohli, to tilt the contest in favour of Lucknow Super Giants. His impact went beyond just one dismissal, as he consistently applied pressure and broke RCB’s rhythm at crucial moments.
Prince’s heroics ensured LSG edged out a nine-run win (DLS method), keeping their faint playoff hopes alive. The victory also snapped Lucknow’s eight-match winless streak at home, making it a landmark result in their season. Without Prince’s decisive intervention, LSG could well have become the first team eliminated from the tournament.
HOW PRINCE ROCKED KOHLI, RCB
Prince Yadav did not make the best start, misfielding a ball in the very first over of RCB’s run chase that went for a boundary. However, that early lapse proved to be the only blemish on an otherwise outstanding performance. While Mitchell Marsh laid the foundation for RCB, Prince delivered the decisive blows.
Prince produced a sensational spell that completely rocked RCB, with the standout moment coming when he dismissed Virat Kohli for a two-ball duck. After shaping one away, he brought the ball back sharply at 140.4 kph to breach Kohli’s defence and uproot the off stump, leaving the RCB camp stunned as the star batter was beaten by pace and movement in a delivery of pure quality.
Thereafter, he removed Devdutt Padikkal, who chipped a simple return catch while attempting a drive. Soon after, Jitesh Sharma fell to a rising short ball, edging a mistimed pull to the keeper. In complete control, Prince dismantled RCB’s batting unit by removing three key batters in a match-turning spell that decisively shifted the momentum. In fact, Prince used Kohli’s advice against him to dismiss the RCB legend.
Prince Yadav also made his presence felt on the field, taking a sharp catch at deep backward point to help Mohammed Shami dismiss Jacob Bethell. He further impressed with a diving stop at short third man, denying Devdutt Padikkal a boundary behind the wicket. Although Prince did not win the Player of the Match award, his impact ensured he remained firmly in the spotlight.
PRINCE IMPRESSES BHARAT ARUN
Prince Yadav also earned praise from Bharat Arun, the Lucknow Super Giants bowling coach, for his stupendous showing. A former India bowling coach, Arun highlighted that Prince’s ability to consistently hit the right lengths was key to his success, underlining the impact he had throughout the match.
“Yes, Prince Yadav has been bowling exceptionally well this entire season. He sticks to his strengths and consistently hits the right lengths, which is why he has been successful. The ball he bowled to Virat Kohli was a beauty, it just came in sharply,” Arun told the broadcasters.
Prince Yadav has arguably been the standout bowler for Lucknow Super Giants in the competition, picking up 16 wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 7.45. He has particularly enjoyed bowling against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, also registering a three-wicket haul in their earlier encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Prince’s impressive consistency has placed him among the joint second-highest wicket-takers in IPL 2026. However, despite his standout performances, LSG remain bottom of the table and will need a strong finish to keep their playoff hopes alive. Working alongside Mohammed Shami has further refined his skill set and boosted his confidence.
LSG now travel to the MA Chidambaram Stadium to take on in-form Chennai Super Kings, who come into the contest on the back of two consecutive victories. For LSG to stay in contention for a top-four finish, Prince will need to sustain his excellent form in the crucial remaining matches.
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