In the 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by two wickets at the Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first. It was a great choice as PBKS restricted the home side to a par score. After letting up an excessive amount of runs during the powerplay, the bowlers of the Punjab-based team handled the middle over pretty economically and also took wickets at important junctures. Stand-in captain Sam Curran was amongst the wickets, while Arshdeep Singh also gave limited runs only which helped them to restrict LSG for 159 runs.
While chasing, both the openers failed to deliver and got out pretty early in the innings. Matthew Short (34) was the batter to take the innings further with his brilliant strokes. Along with him, Harpreet Singh (22) also showcased his skills by contributing a few runs in the middle overs. It was then Sikandar Raza (57) who smoked a smashing half-century which included four fours and three sixes to help PBKS ensure two points from the game. In the end, it was Shahrukh Khan (22), who scored some quick-fire runs to take the visitors home with three balls to spare.
With the bat in the first innings, KL Rahul (74) marked his form with a dashing half-century. The right-handed opening batter hit eight fours and one six to give a massive start to LSG. Nevertheless, skipper Rahul got no help from the other end and the team could only reach 159 runs. The only other batters to score a few runs were Kyle Mayers (29), Krunal Pandya (18) and Marcus Stoinis (15).
Sam Curran grabbed three wickets with the ball in the first innings. Along with him, Kagiso Rabada also plucked two wickets. One wicket each was also bagged by Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Brar and Arshdeep Singh.
For LSG, Yudhvir Singh Charak and Ravi Bishnoi picked up two wickets each. Krishnappa Gowtham and Krunal Pandya also took one wicket each.
Sikandar Raza was adjudged Player of the Match for his contributions with the bat. Following this win, PBKS have registered their third win of the season and are now placed fourth on the IPL 2023 points table.
Scorecard:
Lucknow Super Giants: 159/8, Overs 20, KL Rahul 74, Sam Curran 3/31
Punjab Kings: 161/8, Overs 19.3, Sikandar Raza 57, Ravi Bishnoi 2/18