Punjab Kings climb to second spot on the IPL 2025 points table as Prabhsimran Singh’s explosive 69 and Shreyas Iyer’s steady 52 guide them past LSG in a commanding chase.
Lucknow, April 2: Punjab Kings (PBKS) roared back in style as they comfortably defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 8 wickets at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Riding on explosive knocks by Prabhsimran Singh (69 off 34) and *Shreyas Iyer (52 off 38)**, PBKS chased down a target of 172 in just 16.2 overs, moving to the second spot on the IPL 2025 points table.
🔥 Prabhsimran’s Powerplay Punch
The chase began on a blazing note, with Prabhsimran Singh showing no mercy to the LSG bowlers. He smashed 9 fours and 3 sixes, reaching his fifty in just 26 balls, setting the tone early despite the early dismissal of Priyansh Arya (8).
Shreyas Iyer joined the party soon after and formed a crucial 84-run partnership with Prabhsimran. After the opener’s dismissal at 110, Nehal Wadhera stepped in as the impact sub and added the finishing touches alongside Iyer.
Leg-spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi was the only shining light with the ball for LSG, picking up both PBKS wickets and finishing with 2/30.
🏏 LSG’s Inconsistent Batting Effort
Earlier in the match, Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl first. LSG’s innings started on a shaky note as Mitchell Marsh fell for a golden duck to Arshdeep Singh. Though Aiden Markram looked fluent with 28 off 18, his promising start was cut short by Lockie Ferguson.
Skipper Rishabh Pant continued his lean patch, scoring just 2, and Nicholas Pooran (44) and Ayush Badoni (41) had to rescue the innings with a brisk 54-run partnership. Cameos from David Miller (19) and Abdul Samad (27) pushed the total to 171/7.
Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler, picking 3/43, while Marco Jansen, Glenn Maxwell, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Lockie Ferguson chipped in with a wicket each.
🧮 Match Summary:
Lucknow Super Giants: 171/7 (Pooran 44, Badoni 41; Arshdeep 3/43)
Punjab Kings: 177/2 in 16.2 overs (Prabhsimran 69, Iyer 52*; Rathi 2/30)
Result: PBKS won by 8 wickets
Player of the Match: Prabhsimran Singh
With this convincing win, PBKS has not only improved their NRR but also sent a strong message to the rest of the league. For LSG, the loss means going back to the drawing board as they drop to sixth on the table.