The trend of unconventional celebrations continued in IPL 2026 as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Akash Singh made headlines during his side's clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). On May 15, at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium, the young left-armer provided a massive breakthrough by dismissing the CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, early in the innings. To mark the occasion, Akash pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, a unique celebration previously seen this season from CSK’s Urvil Patel and Mumbai Indians’ Raghu Sharma.
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Akash Singh unfurls special celebration after Ruturaj-Sanju-Urvil
The dismissal occurred on the fifth ball of the fourth over, just as CSK was looking to build momentum. Gaikwad, known for his technical prowess, fell for 13 runs off 9 balls after being lured into a trap by a back-of-the-length delivery outside off stump. Attempting a pull shot, the opener failed to find the meat of the bat, sending a comfortable catch to Nicholas Pooran at mid-on. The wicket left the defending champions reeling at 31 for one within the powerplay.
Akash Singh’s impact didn't stop with the skipper's wicket; the emerging pacer proved to be the "X-factor" LSG needed. He followed up his initial success by tearing through the CSK top order, claiming the wickets of the dangerous Sanju Samson and the in-form Urvil Patel in quick succession. His inclusion in the starting lineup transformed into a masterstroke for Lucknow, as he consistently dismantled the opposition's batting guard throughout his opening spell.
Watch the video here:
Adding a layer of irony to his performance, Akash Singh is actually a former member of CSK. The Rajasthan-born pacer originally joined the 'Yellow Brigade during the 2023 season following a brief stint with Rajasthan Royals. During his tenure with CSK, he featured in six matches and claimed five wickets, though he maintained a relatively high economy rate of 9.89.
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Following his time in Chennai, the Lucknow Super Giants secured his services ahead of the 2024 campaign. Now in his second season with the Lucknow franchise, Akash seems to have found his stride, making a significant impact against the very team that helped launch his career in the league.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI):
Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary
CSK bench: Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Sarfaraz Khan, Matthew Short, Matt Henry
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI):
Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Mukul Choudhary, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav
LSG bench: Josh Inglis, M Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Ayush Badoni