Kamal Ghorui
A tense on-field moment between Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya grabbed attention during the high-scoring IPL 2026 clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow on Thursday. The incident took place during LSG’s innings after Krunal bowled a short delivery to Pooran. The left-hander pulled the ball down the ground for a single, but as he completed the run, Krunal walked towards him and appeared to exchange a few words. While the brief confrontation did not escalate immediately, cameras later caught another interesting interaction between the two players after the match. A video that has now gone viral on social media showed Pooran playfully grabbing Krunal by the collar during their conversation. Despite the intense visuals, the exchange appeared friendly in nature as both players were later seen smiling and sharing a handshake.The dramatic exchange came in the middle of a thrilling rain-curtailed encounter that saw Mitchell Marsh produce one of the innings of the tournament. Marsh hammered a sensational century to power LSG to 209/3 in 19 overs after they were asked to bat first. The Australian smashed the RCB bowling attack all around the ground before skipper Rishabh Pant added crucial late acceleration with an explosive knock. Pooran also chipped in with a quick cameo as Lucknow crossed the 200-run mark comfortably. RCB’s chase got off to a disastrous start after early dismissals of Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell left them reeling at 9/2. But captain Rajat Patidar launched a counterattack with a superb 61 off 31 balls, while Tim David’s brutal 40 off 17 nearly turned the game around. Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya kept RCB alive until the final over, but Digvesh Singh Rathi held his nerve at the death as LSG eventually sealed a tense nine-run victory.
