LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants owed much for their seven-wicket victory at home on Friday night to a long‐overdue breakout from left‐arm pacer Akash Singh, who skilfully mixed cutaways and short‐pitched deliveries to dismantle five-time champions Chennai Super Kings’ top order and deliver his best IPL performance.He returned 3/26 after removing the first three CSK wickets to fall, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson and Urvil Patel. The 24-year-old, with a bandaged right hand, turned a competitive contest into home domination, helping LSG notch up only their second home win of the season.On a pitch that offered only modest help to the seamers, Singh’s control over length and bounce stood out. He used the bouncers effectively against CSK’s aggressive intent. The short‐pitched ball was never reckless—just steep enough to rush the batsman and force bottom‐edged pull‐hooks or mistimed pulls.From the first delivery, the player from Rajasthan looked confident. When Gaikwad charged down the track, he cut the ball back in, then followed it up with a well‐directed short delivery, inducing the opener to top‐edge to deep mid‐wicket.The in-form Samson tried to stand tall and hook, only to find long leg after a chest‐high ball from just short of length. These were planned, intelligent tools in a bowler who finally had the opportunity to trust his game in IPL.Every time Singh took a wicket, he held up a small piece of paper with the line: “#Akki on fire – Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.” The celebration went viral, and Singh said it was self‐motivation and not a gimmick.“I express myself well and people tell me that too. But honestly, it’s about the environment you create around yourself. I spend time understanding how champions think and how champions work hard.“On that note, I had written this. It just motivates me during the game. Sometimes these things work, sometimes they don’t, but if something helps me stay motivated and perform better, I’m willing to do it,” he said after the match.For a 24‐year‐old who has bounced between RR, CSK and now LSG, this spell felt long overdue. “I have been with the side for the last two seasons and was just waiting for an opportunity. A day before the match, during the practice session, I was assured of a place (in the eleven), so I was mentally prepared,” he said.“I always manifest for good show, and in the morning of the match I scribbled my note and put it in my pocket,” he said, adding, “I do scribble this or remind myself again and again even if I am not playing.”Singh’s IPL journey began in 2020 when he was picked up by RR, returning to the team in 2021 before going to CSK in 2023 as a replacement. In eight IPL games, he has five wickets, never getting a sustained run.LSG bought him at his base price of ₹30 lakh ahead of the 2025 season. He played three games last season, taking four scalps, including 2/30 against Punjab Kings. Entering 2026, he did not get a game until Friday, training hard and waiting for the one chance to prove he deserved more than a standby role.Asked about his mindset when he was finally handed the new ball, Singh said: “My mindset is always about getting big wickets because in IPL, you shouldn’t just come to play—you should come to dominate.”He added: “You need to stay one step ahead skill‐wise, but at the same time the mental side matters a lot. If you don’t dominate mentally in this game, you can’t move forward consistently.”For Akash Singh, Friday’s figures are not just three wickets, but a statement that short‐pitched aggression, when backed by discipline and self‐belief, can create chaos at the death, and legitimacy for a long‐overlooked pacer. In a season where LSG are learning to win at home, the lively left‐armer finally ensured the pitch was talking in his language.