The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, typically a graveyard for bowlers, witnessed a masterclass in pace and precision on the evening of Wednesday. In the 23rd match of IPL 2026, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a high-stakes encounter that quickly turned into a one-sided affair. After winning the toss and electing to bowl, RCB’s decision was vindicated early as their bowling spearhead, Josh Hazlewood, dismantled the LSG top order with a spell that combined brute force with surgical accuracy.

Josh Hazlewood sends Nicholas Pooran’s stumps flying in fiery RCB vs LSG encounter

The defining moment of the Powerplay came in the 7th over (6.1), when the Hoff produced a delivery that will likely feature in every season-end highlight reel. Having already unsettled the Lucknow batters with his signature nagging length, Hazlewood targeted the dangerous Nicholas Pooran.

The ball was a classic peach, pitched on a short-of-a-length, angling across the left-hander with just enough zip to catch him off guard. Pooran, desperate to break the shackles of a miserable season, looked to pull the ball over the mid-wicket boundary. However, the lack of room and the extra bounce cramped him for space. A thin bottom edge dragged the ball onto the stumps, sending the bails flying and leaving the LSG dugout in stunned silence. Pooran departed for a mere 1 off 7 balls, a dismissal that perfectly encapsulated his current struggles and Hazlewood’s absolute dominance.

Here’s the video:

TIMBER x 2️⃣!

Josh Hazlewood 🤜🤛 Krunal Pandya@RCBTweets on 🔝

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LSG in trouble with early falters and injury to Rishabh Pant in powerplay 

Lucknow’s woes weren’t confined to the scoreboard alone. Before Pooran’s dismissal, the visitors suffered a psychological blow that arguably hurt more than any wicket. In the 5th over (4.4), captain Rishabh Pant walked off the field retired hurt, adding a layer of drama to an already tense atmosphere.

Pant, who has been the anchor for LSG, faced a hostile barrage from Hazlewood. On the fourth ball of the fifth over, Pant attempted a wild swing across the line, only to miss and get a painful bottom edge into the ground near his feet. The cumulative effect of the pace and a blow to the elbow forced the physios out. Despite receiving medical attention on the field, the skipper was unable to continue, leaving the crease at 0 off 3 balls.

With Aiden Markram already back in the hut (12 off 8) and the captain sidelined, LSG found themselves reeling at 112/4 (effectively 112/5 given the injury) after 15 overs. The Bengaluru crowd, usually deafening in their support for RCB, showed a rare moment of sporting respect as Pant limped back to the pavilion, leaving the lower order to face an uphill battle against a rampant RCB bowling unit.

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