The Ekana Cricket Stadium They witnessed a masterclass in athleticism and pace bowling in the 32nd match at Lucknow. IPL 2026 on Wednesday. as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) hosted Rajasthan Royals (RR)the atmosphere was electric but it was a moment of pure brilliance from the LSG skipper Rishabh pants stole the headlines. LSG’s bowling unit was revived after winning the toss and being elected to field Muhammad ShamiThe early evening looked wet exploits, setting the stage for a dramatic opening powerplay.
Rishabh Pant defied gravity with a magnificent catch to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal
The bounce happened for the 3rd time and it was a play sequence that would be repeated on highlight reels for years to come. Yashasvi JaiswalLooking dangerous with a quick fire 22 off 12 balls (including four boundaries), he was brought back by a ‘snort’ from Shami. Shami, who delivered at 141 clicks, sent a sharp, climbing delivery clipped onto leg stump.
Jaiswal attempted a spinning hook holding his shoulders to control the bounce. However, the sheer pace and added lift forced a hasty connection. The ball brushed the glove and seemed to fly over the goalkeeper’s head. In a display of feline reflexes, Pant defied gravity and launched himself vertically, plucking the ball out of the air with the tip of his right hand. The catch was so impossible that even Jaiswal froze for a second before returning to the pavilion. Shami’s figures reflected an immediate blow, putting RR at 32/1 after 2.5 overs and heralding the start of a hostile spell.
We present the video:
✌️ ✌️ in
Mohd. Shami walks in Lucknow 😎
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/5SaPY8wfsc#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #LSGvRR | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/uR610eyFPc
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 22, 2026
Also READ: IPL 2026: Here’s why LSG’s Avesh Khan ruled out of today’s match against Rajasthan Royals
Jaiswal’s dismissal caused a disastrous domino effect for Rajasthan Royals. In the next ball (2.6 overs), Shami struck again to edge out the lead Dhruv Jurel Pant glove compartment safe again for the golden duck with a catch. The misery continued after that Mohsen Khan caused a mistake by the young man Vaibhav Sooryavanshicaught by Rathi in 11 balls after a sluggish 8 runs.
The Kings were reeling at 54/3 when a Strategic Timeout was called at the end of Game 7. Despite early massacres, Rian Parag (15*) and Shimron Hetmyer (5*) managed to steady the ship a bit, bringing his run rate to 7.71. However, the damage done during the forced powerplay where RR managed just 44 runs for the loss of 3 wickets put LSG firmly in the driver’s seat. Shami returned figures of 2/24 in the first three overs and Mayank Yadav The Royals, who are yet to fully reveal their pace, face an uphill battle to reach the projected 175.
