The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, sometimes a graveyard for bowlers, witnessed a masterclass in tempo and precision on the night of Wednesday. Within the twenty third match of IPL 2026, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took on the Lucknow Tremendous Giants (LSG) in a high-stakes encounter that rapidly became a one-sided affair. After profitable the toss and electing to bowl, RCB’s choice was vindicated early as their bowling spearhead, Josh Hazlewood, dismantled the LSG high order with a spell that mixed brute power with surgical accuracy.
Josh Hazlewood sends Nicholas Pooran’s stumps flying in fiery RCB vs LSG encounter
The defining second of the Powerplay got here within the seventh over (6.1), when the Hoff produced a supply that may possible characteristic in each season-end spotlight reel. Having already unsettled the Lucknow batters together with his signature nagging size, Hazlewood focused the damaging Nicholas Pooran.
The ball was a basic peach, pitched on a short-of-a-length, angling throughout the left-hander with simply sufficient zip to catch him off guard. Pooran, determined to interrupt the shackles of a depressing season, seemed to drag the ball over the mid-wicket boundary. Nevertheless, the shortage of room and the additional bounce cramped him for house. A skinny backside edge dragged the ball onto the stumps, sending the bails flying and leaving the LSG dugout in shocked silence. Pooran departed for a mere 1 off 7 balls, a dismissal that completely encapsulated his present struggles and Hazlewood’s absolute dominance.
Right here’s the video:
TIMBER x 2️⃣!
Josh Hazlewood 🤜🤛 Krunal Pandya@RCBTweets on 🔝
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/UztAZM9l0q#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RCBvLSG pic.twitter.com/464Gt5q8Na
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 15, 2026
Additionally READ: IPL 2026: Right here’s why Jacob Duffy shouldn’t be taking part in towards Lucknow Tremendous Giants in immediately’s match
LSG in hassle with early falters and damage to Rishabh Pant in powerplay
Lucknow’s woes weren’t confined to the scoreboard alone. Earlier than Pooran’s dismissal, the guests suffered a psychological blow that arguably damage greater than any wicket. Within the fifth over (4.4), captain Rishabh Pant walked off the sector retired damage, including a layer of drama to an already tense ambiance.
Pant, who has been the anchor for LSG, confronted a hostile barrage from Hazlewood. On the fourth ball of the fifth over, Pant tried a wild swing throughout the road, solely to overlook and get a painful backside edge into the bottom close to his toes. The cumulative impact of the tempo and a blow to the elbow pressured the physios out. Regardless of receiving medical consideration on the sector, the skipper was unable to proceed, leaving the crease at 0 off 3 balls.
With Aiden Markram already again within the hut (12 off 8) and the captain sidelined, LSG discovered themselves reeling at 112/4 (successfully 112/5 given the damage) after 15 overs. The Bengaluru crowd, often deafening of their assist for RCB, confirmed a uncommon second of sporting respect as Pant limped again to the pavilion, leaving the decrease order to face an uphill battle towards a rampant RCB bowling unit.
Additionally WATCH: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s heartwarming on subject second steals the highlight in MI vs RCB conflict
