Ekana Cricket Stadium A masterclass of athletics and pace bowling was seen during the 32nd match in Lucknow. ipl 2026 On Wednesday. In form of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) hosted by Rajasthan Royals (RR)The atmosphere was electric, but it was a moment of pure genius from the LSG captain Rishabh Pant Which grabbed the headlines. After winning the toss and electing to field, the leadership of LSG’s bowling unit revived Mohammed ShamiTried to take advantage of the early evening moisture, setting the stage for a dramatic early powerplay.
Rishabh Pant defies gravity with brilliant catch to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal
The breakthrough came in the third over, and it was a sequence of play that would be repeated on highlight reels for years to come. Yashasvi JaiswalJoe, who was looking dangerous after scoring 22 runs in 12 balls (including four fours), was spoiled by a ‘snorter’ from Shami. Delivering at 141 clicks, Shami sent a sharp, climbing delivery which went over the leg stump.
Jaiswal attempted a swivel hook, moving his shoulders forward to control the bounce. However, due to the high speed and excess lift a hasty approach had to be made. The ball hit the gloves and seemed to fly over the keeper’s head. In a display of cat reflexes, Pant launched himself vertically, defying gravity to pull the ball out of the air with the tip of his right hand. The catch was so impossible that even Jaiswal stood there for a second before returning to the pavilion. Shami’s figures showed an immediate impact, leaving RR at 32/1 after 2.5 overs and signaling the beginning of a hostile spell.
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Mo. Shami is active in Lucknow
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Also read: IPL 2026: This is why LSG’s Avesh Khan is not playing against Rajasthan Royals in today’s match
Jaiswal’s dismissal had a devastating impact on Rajasthan Royals. Shami hit again on the very next ball (2.6 overs) and removed Promoted Dhruv Jurel A catch was again safely put into Pant’s gloves, for a golden duck. The suffering continued in the following years mohsin khan made the youth make a mistake Vaibhav SuryavanshiWho was caught out on Rathi’s ball after scoring 8 runs on 11 balls.
By the time strategic timeout was called at the end of the 7th over, Royals’ score was 54/3. Despite the initial massacre, Riyan Parag (15*) and Shimron Hetmyer (5*) managed to steady the ship a bit, taking the run rate to 7.71. However, the damage caused during the mandatory powerplay, where RR could only manage 44 runs for the loss of 3 wickets, has placed LSG firmly in the driver’s seat. Shami returned figures of 2/24 in his first three overs. Mayank Yadav Still to unleash their pace to the fullest, the Royals face an uphill struggle to reach their projected score of 175.
