In the 68th match of the IPL 2026, Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by seven wickets at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Punjab’s bowling performance was inconsistent, but it did the job when it mattered. Marco Jansen (2/33) and Azmatullah Omarzai (1/29) were very efficient with the new ball, putting LSG on the back foot right away. Yuzvendra Chahal was the highlight in the middle overs, finishing with 2/25 from four overs and keeping LSG’s heavy hitters quiet. Shashank Singh also contributed with a key wicket of a well-positioned Inglis. Punjab’s only big fault was Arshdeep Singh, who had a nightmare night, leaking 52 runs in three overs, including a crucial 17-run final over that gave LSG late life.
Chasing 197 with their season on the line, PBKS produced their best batting performance of the competition, scoring 200/3 in just 18 overs. Despite losing Priyansh Arya on the first delivery of the chase, Prabhsimran Singh (69) made the most of a missed catch to score a brilliant fifty. Captain Shreyas Iyer (101*), however, was without a doubt the night’s hero. Stepping up under enormous pressure, Iyer silenced detractors by smashing his first IPL century, spearheading the chase with a faultless. His clinical boundary-hitting and premeditated attack on LSG’s death bowlers transformed a difficult pursuit into a leisurely stroll.
Lucknow’s innings was a roller-coaster journey that culminated with a solid 196/6. They suffered rapid blows, falling to a frightening 20/2 within the first three overs as Arshin Kulkarni and Nicholas Pooran were dismissed cheaply. Nevertheless, Australian opener Josh Inglis (72) anchored the team admirably with a fifty off 44 balls. He found an explosive companion in Ayush Badoni (43), who reversed the flow with a quickfire knock. While a middle-over squeeze hampered skipper Rishabh Pant (who shared a 65-run stand with Inglis), Abdul Samad supplied the crucial finishing flourish, smashing an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls to ensure LSG ended with what appeared to be a highly competitive total.
Lucknow’s bowling unit started well by dismissing opener Priyansh Arya on the first delivery, but they quickly lost control of the contest. While veteran Mohammad Shami did his best to keep things together (2/45), he came against a rampaging Iyer at the finish, conceding 20 runs in a single over, including three big sixes. The turning moment, however, was poor fielding execution by skipper Pant, who dropped a critical catch off Arjun Tendulkar with Prabhsimran Singh just on 20.
With this result, PBKS culminate the league stage with 15 points and a positive Net Run Rate (+0.309). They now face a stressful Sunday, as Mumbai Indians must overcome Rajasthan Royals to officially qualify for the playoffs.
Scorecard:
Lucknow Super Giants: 196/6, Overs 20, Josh Inglis 72, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/25
Punjab Kings: 200/3, Overs 18, Shreyas Iyer 101*, Mohammad Shami 2/45
