Lucknow: The 2026 Indian Premier League season continues to be defined by a peculiar trend: the "paper note" celebration. On Friday, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) left-arm seamer Akash Singh became the latest player to brandish a slip of paper after dismantling the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) top order at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium.

Singh’s theatrics began in the fourth over of the first innings when he removed CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for 13. After the dismissal, which left the visitors at 31-1, Singh pulled a note from his pocket to mark the breakthrough. He follows in the footsteps of CSK’s Urvil Patel and Mumbai Indians’ Raghu Sharma, both of whom have utilised similar paper-based celebrations earlier this season.

A Quick Double Strike

Singh’s impact widened in the powerplay as he claimed the tournament’s "big fish," Sanju Samson. Delivering a back-of-a-length ball into the body, Singh forced Samson into a mistimed flick toward deep square leg. The ball travelled aerially before landing safely in the hands of Mukul Choudhary, who was stationed on the boundary. This double blow proved to be a pivotal moment for LSG, as Samson was forced to depart with the score at 36-2 after 5.3 overs.

The "note" made a third appearance shortly after when Singh secured another vital wicket. Utilising a short-pitched delivery angled across the right-hander, Singh induced a flat pull shot from Urvil Patel. Though Patel struck the ball hard toward deep mid-wicket, it began to dip quickly, allowing Mitchell Marsh to secure a sharp, low catch. The dismissal reduced Chennai to 52-3, and by the 10-over mark, the visitors had laboured to a total of 71-3.

The Rise of a Journeyman

For Akash Singh, the 2026 season represents a hard-earned breakthrough after years of flickering on the fringes of the league.

  • 2021: Debuted for Rajasthan Royals, finishing with figures of 2-40 in his lone appearance.
  • 2023: Joined Chennai Super Kings as an injury replacement, claiming five wickets in six matches with a 9.89 economy rate.
  • 2025: Purchased by Lucknow Super Giants at his base price of INR 30 lakh. He impressed with four wickets in three games, including a 2-30 spell.
  • 2026: Retained by LSG, Singh has now established himself as a primary threat in their bowling arsenal.