Kamal Ghorui
Virat Kohli shared a warm moment with Prince Yadav after the young Lucknow Super Giants pacer dismissed the RCB superstar for a silver duck with one of the deliveries of IPL 2026 on Thursday night.Playing in a rain-curtailed 19-over contest at the Ekana Stadium, Prince produced a sensational 140.4 kph nip-backer that completely outfoxed Kohli during RCB’s chase. The ball jagged back sharply after pitching, swung more than 1.4 degrees, sneaked through the narrow gap between bat and pad, and shattered the off stump, leaving Kohli stunned as the LSG camp erupted in celebration.The dismissal carried added significance as it marked Kohli’s first duck in the IPL since 2023 and his first zero in a run chase in nine years. The previous occasion came against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 during the infamous match where RCB were bowled out for just 49 at Eden Gardens.
Prince went on to play a match-winning role for Lucknow Super Giants, finishing with figures of 3/33 as LSG defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs via the DLS method to keep their playoff hopes alive. Despite the dismissal, Kohli was later seen sharing a cheerful conversation with Prince and LSG bowling coach Bharat Arun after the match. The former RCB captain appeared relaxed, laughing during the interaction and even placing his hand on Prince’s shoulder, seemingly appreciating the youngster for delivering such a brilliant ball.What made the moment even more special was Prince’s revelation after the game. The 24-year-old pacer disclosed that the wicket came from advice Kohli himself had given him after LSG’s previous match.“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 match. “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.”
