Desk Correspondent , Lucknow - A heated moment between Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Pooran during the IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants triggered massive buzz online after a new viral clip showed Pooran grabbing Krunal by the collar during a post-match interaction. However, the RCB all-rounder has now broken his silence, making it clear there is “only love” between the two cricketers.

The drama began during the high-voltage IPL 2026 encounter at the Ekana Stadium earlier this week. The on-field tension first surfaced when Krunal Pandya bowled a sharp bouncer to Nicholas Pooran shortly after he arrived at the crease. Following the next delivery, the two were seen exchanging words as Pooran reached the non-striker’s end, though the matter appeared to cool down quickly during the match. However, two days later, social media exploded after a fresh clip surfaced online showing Pooran making animated gestures towards Krunal before briefly grabbing him by the collar during a conversation after the game. The video immediately sparked speculation of a serious fallout between the former teammates. 

The situation, however, turned out to be far less dramatic than fans assumed. In the viral footage, Justin Langer can also be seen stepping in and chatting with both players before the exchange ended with smiles and laughter. Soon after the clip gained traction, Krunal Pandya took to Instagram to dismiss rumours of any bad blood. Sharing a picture with Pooran, he wrote, “No lafda, only love,” while congratulating the West Indies batter on completing 100 IPL matches. Krunal also jokingly asked Pooran, “Btw, how was the bouncer?” Pooran quickly responded in the comments section, writing, “Only love here guys. One of my best mates,” confirming the interaction was simply playful banter between close friends. The duo had earlier shared the dressing room while representing Lucknow Super Giants during the 2023 and 2024 IPL seasons.

Despite the online frenzy surrounding the viral collar-grab clip, both Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Pooran have made it clear there is no rift between them. Meanwhile, the IPL 2026 clash itself proved to be a thriller, with Lucknow Super Giants defeating Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs via the DLS method after a stunning century from Mitchell Marsh and a dramatic early dismissal of Virat Kohli for a duck.