LSG vs PBKS Match - 13

Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera guide Punjab to 8-wicket win over Lucknow

The Punjab Kings produced an all-round display to convincingly defeat the Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets in their IPL 2025 encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This win marked Punjab's second victory in as many matches, while Lucknow has now lost two of their three matches. Punjab Kings began strongly after electing to field, but rescue acts by Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni, followed by an explosive cameo from Abdul Samad, helped the hosts amass a challenging 171/7 in 20 overs. 

Nicholas Pooran of the Lucknow Super Giants during an IPL 2024 match vs Punjab Kings at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow.

Pooran and Badoni added 54 for the fourth wicket after Lucknow were reduced to 35/3 in the powerplay. Yuzvendra Chahal's astuteness led to Pooran's dismissal, caught by Glenn Maxwell at long-off for 44(30). Badoni (41 off 33) and Samad (27 off 12) were dismissed in the final over bowled by Arshdeep Singh, who returned with three scalps but leaked 43 runs in his four overs. Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh was packed for 0, while Aiden Markram struck four boundaries and a maximum before falling to Lockie Ferguson for 28(18).

Rishabh Pant's woes in the tournament continued unabated as the LSG captain fell cheaply for 2(5) against Maxwell. In response, Punjab lost Priyansh Arya early, who was dismissed by Digvesh Rathi for 8(9). Nevertheless, what followed was utterly unbecoming as Rathi was seen giving Priyansh an animated send-off. Prabhsimran Singh, however, maintained Punjab's ascendancy and hammered a 23-ball half-century. He, along with his captain Shreyas Iyer, added 84 off 44 balls for the second wicket, decisively swinging the match in Punjab's favor. A special effort in the outfield ultimately ended a special knock by Prabhsimran, who was dismissed for 69(34) against Digvesh Rathi.

          Prabhsimran's innings ended near the square leg fence, caught by Ravi Bishnoi, after Ayush Badoni collected the ball near the ropes but released it upon losing balance. Iyer continued his strong performance, remaining unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls, while impact substitute Nehal Wadhera added 43* off 25 balls. Punjab successfully wrapped up the chase, with 3.4 overs remaining.

        At Ekana, 14 matches have been played, with the team batting first emerging victorious 7 times and the team chasing winning 6 times. Teams that have won the toss have secured victories 8 times, while teams that have lost the toss have won 5 times. The highest team total at this venue is 235/6, achieved by the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Lucknow Super Giants in 2024, whereas the lowest score is 108 runs, recorded by LSG against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023. The highest successful run chase here is 170/4, accomplished by Delhi Capitals against LSG.

        Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer both slammed half centuries while Nehal Wadhera scored a crucial 43 as Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets to stay unbeaten in the league.

         

 

         The Lucknow Super Giants will host the Punjab Kings at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday in their first home game of the season, after playing away matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals. Both teams are coming into this match with victories, as LSG defeated SRH in Hyderabad and PBKS narrowly beat Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.

             Both teams have different captains in Rishabh Pant for LSG and Shreyas Iyer for PBKS. These two players, released from their ex-franchises, were the top two most. 

              expensive buys in the IPL 2025 auction with Pant going for Rs 27 crore while Iyer going for Rs 26.75 crore. 

              

             Prabhsimran Singh has been declared the Player of the Match for his remarkable knock of 69 runs off 34 deliveries. He venerates Ricky Ponting as a legend, appreciating his relentless focus on the positives. Prabhsimran stresses that Ponting's mindset is purely centered on winning, leaving no room for doubts or 'ifs.' The team has been encouraged to trust their natural abilities and express themselves freely. Prabhsimran also underscores the IPL's significance as a crucial platform for aspiring cricketers to achieve their ultimate dream of representing India.

   

            Shreyas Iyer, the triumphant captain of Punjab Kings, asserts that this is the kind of start they required and commends every player for contributing collectively as a cohesive unit. He notes that there is no ideal combination and states that all teams possess equal potential to emerge victorious in games, but what ultimately matters is executing the plan effectively. He expresses his preference for focusing on the present, acknowledging that past performances are relegated to history, and looks forward to the next challenge.

            Boasting formidable batting lineups, with LSG featuring Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh and PBKS featuring Iyer himself, Priyansh Arya and Glenn Maxwell, the two teams may struggle to score on the Ekana pitch, which has traditionally provided little support to batters.

              Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to field first against Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana Stadium on Tuesday. Both teams are entering the contest on the back of victories in their previous matches, but historical data suggests that the key batsmen in both squads may struggle at LSG's home ground, as Ekana Stadium boasts the lowest first innings average, the lowest run rate, and the second-lowest runs per wicket in the league over the past two years.

 

    

         What has been the key to PBKS' Priyansh Arya's successful IPL debut, which has earned him recognition from Ricky Ponting?

          It’s early stages in the 18th season of Indian Premier League, but a strong early trend that has emerged is how uncapped Indian players have made their presence felt. One of those who have caught the eye is Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya. The 24-year-old from Delhi came in for special praise from PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting after their side’s 11-run win in a high-scoring contest in Ahmedabad on Tuesday against Gujarat Titans.

   Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, and Abdul Samad played vital innings that enabled Lucknow Super Giants to recover from regular wicket losses, ultimately posting 171/7 against Punjab Kings. Initially, the Kings were in control, dismissing Mitchell Marsh and Rishabh Pant cheaply, with Arshdeep Singh claiming 3 wickets, but the aforementioned trio of batters helped the hosts achieve a competitive total.       

The contest has come to a close, and the Punjab Kings maintain their unbeaten streak, joining RCB and DC as the only teams yet to taste defeat this season. A clinical all-round performance enables them to climb to second place on the points table, while LSG experience their second loss in three games. The Indian Premier League now turns its attention to Bengaluru, where the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is set to host its first match of the season. A thrilling encounter is on the cards as Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on the Gujarat Titans in Match 14 on April 2, 2025. The action gets underway at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but be sure to tune in early for all the pre-match analysis. Until then, it's goodbye and see you soon!