Troubles persist for the Lucknow team as they face defeat against Punjab in the IPL match.
Title: Punjab Mops Up Victory Against Struggling Lucknow in IPL Thriller
Get ready for a rollercoaster ride as we dive into the IPL thriller between Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants! With a standout performance from Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab managed to post an impressive 236-5, thanks in part to some impressive cameos.
It was Arshdeep Singh, though, who took the limelight with his stunning bowling figures of 3-16. In response, Lucknow stumbled to 199-7, with the star batsman Pant falling for 18 after connecting only two fours and a six.
Pant, who joined LSG for a whopping $3.21 million in the auction, struggled to find his rhythm during his stay. The wicketkeeper-batsman has managed only 128 runs from 10 innings this season.
This loss leaves Lucknow in seventh place in the table, teetering on the edge of the fourth and final playoff spot, with three games remaining. Punjab, on the other hand, jumped to second spot behind leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru after this seventh win of the campaign.
The tone was set when Arshdeep bowled Mitchell Marsh for a duck and sent Aiden Markram packing for 13, leaving Lucknow in deep trouble. He also dismissed dangerous hitter Nicholas Pooran for a paltry six, forcing Pant into a laborious rebuilding effort that ended with him being dismissed by Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai.
Omarzai swiftly followed this by sending back David Miller, plunging Lucknow further into trouble. Brave efforts from Ayush Badoni (74) and Abdul Samad (45) kept Lucknow's hopes alive with a 81-run stand.
Earlier, Josh Inglis' quick-fire 30 and Prabhsimran's steady 91 off 48 balls set the base for Punjab's formidable total. Skipper Shreyas Iyer took charge after Inglis' departure, scoring 45 in a 78-run partnership. A dropped catch by Pooran on 21 wasn't enough to derail Prabhsimran, who benefitted from the error.
Leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi denied Prabhsimran a century, but Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis ensured Punjab finished strongly. Despite Ravi Bishnoi's absence, Punjab proved they have the firepower to secure victories.
© 2025 AFP
Enrichment Insights:
- Ravi Bishnoi, star leg-spinner for LSG, was unavailable due to a possible pitch condition, leading to him being replaced by impact substitutes.
- Bishnoi impressed in IPL 2022, helping LSG reach the playoffs and maintaining consistent performances throughout the last few seasons.
- In 2020, Bishnoi made his IPL debut with Punjab Kings, taking 12 wickets in 14 matches.
- Arshdeep Singh, the Punjab Kings bowler, took charge in their IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants, managing impressive figures of 3-16 and creating trouble for the opposition early on.
- KL Rahul's team, Punjab Kings, had an unbeaten partnership of 78 runs between Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh, with the latter contributing a steady 91 runs, despite being dropped by Nicholas Pooran on 21.
- Ravi Bishnoi, a key player for Lucknow Super Giants due to his consistent performances, was unavailable for the game against Punjab Kings, and his absence was felt as the team struggled to contain the opposition's scoring.
