Lucknow, May 16 (IANS) Left-arm pacer Akash Singh said hard work and self-belief are the driving forces behind his performances after producing a match-winning spell in Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) emphatic seven-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026 at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Akash ripped through CSK’s top order with figures of 3-26, dismissing skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, and Urvil Patel to leave the visitors struggling early on a fiery red-soil pitch.

After the magical performance, the youngster said that he constantly motivates himself mentally during pressure situations and believes preparation is the key to succeeding at the highest level.

“If I am under pressure or something like that, I keep telling myself things that give me motivation to perform well at this level. If you work hard, you get satisfaction. Whether you play or not, you are ready for the match,” Akash said in a video released by IPL on X.

“And if you work hard, you know that when my chance comes, I have to seize it. I get satisfaction from hard work. For me, the most important thing is hard work because it’s in my hands. If I don’t do that, I can’t expect myself to go to the match and perform. That will never happen,” he added.

Akash also explained his animated “chit-from-pocket” celebration, saying it symbolised confidence and self-motivation.

“I think this is basically ‘Aki on Fire’. It’s about how Aki on Fire knows how to take wickets,” Akash said.

Akash further stressed the importance of understanding strengths and weaknesses in the T20 format and credited conversations within the team setup for boosting his confidence.

“The understanding is that in a T20 game, you have to understand what your strength is, but at the same time, what your opponent’s weaknesses are. This chit-chat is giving me confidence. For me, this is the mantra,” he added.

After Akash’s early burst restricted CSK to 187/5 despite a fighting 71 from Kartik Sharma and an unbeaten 32 from Shivam Dube, LSG made a mockery of the chase thanks to a brutal assault from Mitchell Marsh.

Marsh smashed a scintillating 90 off just 38 balls, while Josh Inglis made 36 and Nicholas Pooran finished unbeaten on 32 off 17 balls as LSG chased down the target in just 16.4 overs to register their fourth win of the season.

–IANS

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