Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Prince Yadav bowled Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli for a two-ball duck in their IPL 2026 clash at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday (May 7).
The 140.4 kph, sharp-nipping delivery drew Kohli forward before it uprooted the off-stump, a moment that went viral on social media.
Ahead of LSG’s next match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk on Sunday (May 10), bowling coach Bharat Arun lauded Prince’s rapid rise this season, describing the delivery to Kohli as a “dream ball.”
Arun revealed that even Kohli was left stunned by the delivery, questioning how it was bowled.
"See, Prince, last year he showed glimpses of what he could achieve. So, actually this year during the camps that we had, we discussed his strengths. See, under pressure, sometimes a bowler goes blank. But under pressure, the one who is confident of executing his strengths is going to be most successful in execution.
"So, we had lot of one-on-one chats during the pre-season camps and things like that. And understood what is the best, what are their strengths. And we went about working perfectly on their strengths and on execution. Even we had a chat with Kohli and Kohli said: 'how did he bowl that ball?'
“Because it's not very common - mostly, outswing bowlers, after pitching, the ball swings in the air. After pitching, the ball tends to come in because of the position of the seam, how it lands. I don't think any bowler can bowl it at will, but if you are consistently working on your swing, it can be possible. And it was a dream ball," Arun said in the pre-match press conference.
After limited success in his debut 2025 season, Prince Yadav has developed into a top performer this year (16 wickets in 10 matches), with Arun noting his potential to play for India.
Arun expressed confidence that both Prince and left-arm quick Mohsin Khan (10 wickets in 5 matches) have the talent to represent the country, with the team management facing the challenge of maximizing their potential.
"See, one reason for me joining Lucknow Super Giants is due to the fact they were really exciting bowlers. If you look at Prince, Mohsin (Khan), (Mohammed) Shami is doing well and even now Mayank Yadav bowled pretty well in the last game. Okay, he is a little short of match practice I would say, but he is getting there. And also, we have a few other exciting prospects on hand," Arun stated.
"So, overall if you look at it, if you ask me a question, can they play for India? Yes, they have it in them to play (for India). It's (now about) how well they (the Indian team management) bring together the talent and getting the best out of it is a challenge for them," he remarked.
