Mitchell Marsh, the LSG opener, has departed the team and is reportedly unable to play in their last group stage match. In Marsh's absence, Arshin Kulkarni might earn another game.
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| Shreyas Iyer, In a great mind space, and the right to free speech |
For PBKS, win or lose
After a promising start, Punjab Kings' (PBKS) IPL 2026 campaign has taken a turn for the worse, reminiscent of IPL 2018. They finished eighth eight years ago after losing seven of their following eight games, after starting with five victories in six games. After beginning the season with six victories in as many games played, they have already dropped six straight games.
Playing LSG at this time, though, might not be all that bad for PBKS despite the hole they are in.
In their last three encounters with LSG, PBKS have prevailed.
How can PBKS advance?
Despite having lost their last six games, PBKS will still qualify for the playoffs provided they defeat LSG, place higher than KKR on NRR, and RR loses to MI on Sunday. Even if they defeat LSG by just one run, KKR will still need to defeat DC by at least 52 runs to surpass PBKS' NRR due to their better NRR. KKR must win by 61 runs if PBKS wins by 10 runs.
Trivia and statistics
Of the 35 hitters who have scored at least 500 runs in the IPL since 2025, Rishabh Pant has the lowest strike rate at 136.69.
The LSG fast has struggled against Arya, but Mohammed Shami has an advantage over Prabhsimran Singh with two dismissals and 19 runs given in nine deliveries. Without getting out, the left-hand opener hit Shami for 26 runs in 12 balls.
PBKS has the lowest average and economy rate of any team this season when it comes to bowling.
Early observations
This is the final IPL 2026 game in Lucknow, according to Daya Sagar's account from the scene. The audience is also rather tiny because LSG has already been eliminated from the competition.
Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Marco Jansen, and Azmatullah Omarzai have marked the bowling run-up for PBKS in this crucial game. Mohammed Shami and Arshin Kulkarni have done this for LSG. Additionally, Mitchell Marsh, who is unavailable for this game, will be replaced by Arshin Kulkarni.
Toss: bowl of PBKS
Shreyas Iyer, captain of the Punjab Kings, won the toss and decided to chase in a game they needed to win to remain in the playoff race. He announced two changes, replacing Lockie Ferguson and Harpreet Brar with fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak and all-rounder Marco Jansen. Marcus Stoinis will probably enter the starting lineup as an impact player later on in the match.
Rishabh Pant, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, apologised to the supporters for their poor season. Based on his evaluation of the surface, which appeared to be among the best they've seen for batting in Lucknow this season, he would have preferred to have bowled first on Saturday. He anticipated a "high-scoring game."
LSG made some adjustments, including replacing Mitchell Marsh, who has withdrawn from the competition, with Arshin Kulkarni and giving left-arm fast Arjun Tendulkar a debut. Mayank Yadav, Akash Singh, and Shahbaz Ahmed, who participated in LSG's most recent game, were left out of the starting lineup along with Mukul Choudhary. The impact sub is probably Digvesh Rathi. Only two foreign players make up LSG's starting lineup.
LSG bat-first XI: Inglis, Kulkarni, Pooran, Badoni, Pant, Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Tendulkar, Shami, Prince, Mohsin.
LSG's sub options: Shahbaz, Rathi, M Siddarth, Himmat, Akash
PBKS bowl-first XI: Arya, Prabhsimran, Connolly, Shreyas, Shedge, Shashank, Omarzai, Jansen, Vyshak, Arshdeep, Chahal
PBKS sub options: Harpreet, Stoinis, Bartlett, Vinod, Pravin Dubey
Kulkarni has left
So far, it has been an all-action start. Inglis struck four fours in the first over, even though he hadn't yet completed a 360. He will eventually start looking behind the wicket to maximise the powerplay.
For a first-ball duck, however, Arshin Kulkarni must walk back. With 26 runs from three innings at an 81 strike rate, the 21-year-old, who is in his debut IPL season, has had a difficult time. Nicholas Pooran is kept silent by Azmatullah Omarzai, who almost bowls a wicket maiden while creating swing in both directions.
Pooran has left
This pitch is obviously helpful. Josh Inglis, a batter raised in Perth, is being troubled by Marco Jansen's sharp bounce. Azmatullah Omarzai and Arshdeep Singh were both swinging in the air. But before things level out, how long will this last?
With Pooran back in the hut, PBKS may have done enough to take advantage of the assistance available. He is bowled off the inside edge by Jansen. He bowls so awkwardly. Pooran goes for the pull and misses it since he usually gets so much bounce, even though the ball was only back of a length.
Rishabh Pant demotes himself to No. 5 in the final game of LSG's season after beginning the season as an opener and attempting to play No. 3. He is surpassed by Ayush Badoni.
Jansen is defeated by Badoni
4 0 4 6 4 0
LSG was under pressure as the power play was coming to an end, and there had been no bounds since the first over. In a thrilling fifth over against Marco Jansen, Badoni relieves it. With mostly conventional strokes, he frequently appears to be such a brilliant player, but he hasn't yet ignited the IPL. This is the fifth season of Badoni.
Omarzai is defeated by Badoni
1 1w 4 6 6 2 4
Badoni's score has increased from 2 out of 5 to 42 out of 16.
42 runs have been scored in the final 12 balls of the powerplay.
Badoni has left
Prabhsimran did a great job behind the wicket. His chances of creating something unique were slim to none. When Badoni attempted a cut and failed, he was on the back foot, deep and secure in his crease. Prabhsimran is aware that when you play a shot like that and lose, you reset your position, believing the ball is dead once the shot is over. It isn't. He whips off the bails while Prabhsimran is still in play.
Replays reveal that Badoni's foot is elevated even though it is still behind the crease. Because Prabhsimran was so adamant about his appeal, the square leg umpire was nearly compelled to consult the third umpire. Because, once more, Badoni was far away and extremely secure. His foot was only off the ground for a brief moment, and it was sufficient.
Inglis 50
Inglis scored 16 out of 6. He has taken 15 balls to score 10 runs since hitting four boundaries in the first over.
0 1 0 1 4 6
He eventually breaks free once more against Vyshak in the tenth over. In the twelfth over, Arshdeep was struck more cleanly.
1 1w 6 4 2 4
Up to the twelfth over, Inglis' innings breakdown was 16 off 6, 10 off 15, and 29 off 9.
Pant vs Chahal
It's been a beautiful fight. 17 runs. 14 balls. A pair of fours. Just one wicket.
Pant was at his best on one four. Early on, he chose the shorter length. He sliced the ball hard through more cover after rocking back a considerable distance.
However, Chahal was following a plan even there. He tried to conceal the ball outside and keep it away from Pant. He repeatedly executes that strategy, beating the left-hander's outside edge and nearly stumping him when he attempted to come down the course.
Shashank's emergency
With Arshdeep Singh scoring 17 runs per over today, PBKS may have had to switch to Shashank Singh (3-0-29-1). They seem to be benching their World Cup winner for something else since they can't afford to make mistakes now.
Shashank's opening over is excellent. Only four singles. He hits two boundaries in his second over. Inglis is removed in his third over, which is the 17th of the innings. Thus, the risk has mostly paid off.
An excellent over
From Jansen in the demise
1 1 1 0 W 1
He is surprisingly fast. He goes all over the place. Additionally, Mukul Choudhary cannot handle him.
For the final 12 balls, what can Abdul Samad and LSG rookie Arjun Tendulkar do? Not much comes of it.
1 1w 4 6 6 2 4
Badoni's score has increased from 2 out of 5 to 42 out of 16.
42 runs have been scored in the final 12 balls of the powerplay.
Badoni has left
Prabhsimran did a great job behind the wicket. His chances of creating something unique were slim to none. When Badoni attempted a cut and failed, he was on the back foot, deep and secure in his crease. Prabhsimran is aware that when you play a shot like that and lose, you reset your position, believing the ball is dead once the shot is over. It isn't. He whips off the bails while Prabhsimran is still in play.
Replays reveal that Badoni's foot is elevated even though it is still behind the crease. Because Prabhsimran was so adamant about his appeal, the square leg umpire was nearly compelled to consult the third umpire. Because, once more, Badoni was far away and extremely secure. His foot was only off the ground for a brief moment, and it was sufficient.
Inglis 50
Inglis scored 16 out of 6. He has taken 15 balls to score 10 runs since hitting four boundaries in the first over.
0 1 0 1 4 6
He eventually breaks free once more against Vyshak in the tenth over. In the twelfth over, Arshdeep was struck more cleanly.
1 1w 6 4 2 4
Up to the twelfth over, Inglis' innings breakdown was 16 off 6, 10 off 15, and 29 off 9.
Pant vs Chahal
It's been a beautiful fight. 17 runs. 14 balls. A pair of fours. Just one wicket.
Pant was at his best on one four. Early on, he chose the shorter length. He sliced the ball hard through more cover after rocking back a considerable distance.
However, Chahal was following a plan even there. He tried to conceal the ball outside and keep it away from Pant. He repeatedly executes that strategy, beating the left-hander's outside edge and nearly stumping him when he attempted to come down the course.
Shashank's emergency
With Arshdeep Singh scoring 17 runs per over today, PBKS may have had to switch to Shashank Singh (3-0-29-1). They seem to be benching their World Cup winner for something else since they can't afford to make mistakes now.
Shashank's opening over is excellent. Only four singles. He hits two boundaries in his second over. Inglis is removed in his third over, which is the 17th of the innings. Thus, the risk has mostly paid off.
An excellent over
From Jansen in the demise
1 1 1 0 W 1
He is surprisingly fast. He goes all over the place. Additionally, Mukul Choudhary cannot handle him.
For the final 12 balls, what can Abdul Samad and LSG rookie Arjun Tendulkar do? Not much comes of it.
1 1 2 1 1 0
After a brilliant 19th over from Vijaykumar Vyshak, Tendulkar ducks under a slower bouncer in anticipation of a wide.
LSG 196 for six
LSG barely managed 10 runs in two of the final three overs. For the last over, PBKS chose Arshdeep over Omarzai. 17 runs were scored. To prevent Tendulkar from hitting, Abdul Samad faced every ball of the 20th over and denied singles. In their innings, LSG hit 28 boundaries. Ten of them (36%) hailed from Arshdeep.
Josh Inglis's outstanding innings of 72 off 44 helped LSG end on 196. With a 4-0-25-2 record, Chahal was the most impressive bowler. To qualify for the playoffs, PBKS must win this game and then hope RR loses to MI.
The short ball versus Arya
PBKS lost for the first time this season on April 28 and have yet to end their losing run.
Arya has faced eight short balls since April 28, scored six runs, and been dismissed twice, including today's first ball of the chase to Mohammed Shami. In the third over, Cooper Connolly is dismissed by the LSG fast. According to our forecaster, PBKS has a less than 30% chance of winning.
After a brilliant 19th over from Vijaykumar Vyshak, Tendulkar ducks under a slower bouncer in anticipation of a wide.
LSG 196 for six
LSG barely managed 10 runs in two of the final three overs. For the last over, PBKS chose Arshdeep over Omarzai. 17 runs were scored. To prevent Tendulkar from hitting, Abdul Samad faced every ball of the 20th over and denied singles. In their innings, LSG hit 28 boundaries. Ten of them (36%) hailed from Arshdeep.
Josh Inglis's outstanding innings of 72 off 44 helped LSG end on 196. With a 4-0-25-2 record, Chahal was the most impressive bowler. To qualify for the playoffs, PBKS must win this game and then hope RR loses to MI.
The short ball versus Arya
PBKS lost for the first time this season on April 28 and have yet to end their losing run.
Arya has faced eight short balls since April 28, scored six runs, and been dismissed twice, including today's first ball of the chase to Mohammed Shami. In the third over, Cooper Connolly is dismissed by the LSG fast. According to our forecaster, PBKS has a less than 30% chance of winning.
Shami stars
In the IPL 2026 powerplay, Shami took nine wickets out of a total of twelve. The only people ahead of him are Rabada (17), Bhuvi (15), Siraj (13), and Archer (10).
Iyer's task
This season, PBKS has pursued higher totals thanks to a strong opening partnership. They won't have that luxury this time. When their prospects of winning were fewer than thirty percent, their No. 4, Shreyas Iyer, was brought out in the third over. Last year, he pitched one of the best innings in their team's history to help PBKS advance to the championship game.
This season, he has also been playing well. The only issue is that he relied heavily on pre-existing platforms for much of his work. The PBKS skipper must set the groundwork and complete it today.
Prabhsimran is dropped by Pant
Tendulkar has an opportunity to take a wicket on the fourth delivery of his debut over for LSG (ever). It bounces sharply. Prabhsimran is late with the hook shot on 20 off 12. The only way he can glove it to Pant is down the leg side. The ball eventually pops out after Pant dives and applies two hands to it, but it's a challenging catch at an odd height. After seven overs, PBKS might have been 66 for 3.
Iyer and Prabh go big
Arjun Tendulkar has been destroyed after maybe taking a wicket in his opening over.
0 4 1 4 0 6
PBKS had a less than 30% chance of winning when Prabhsimran and Iyer's partnership (72* off 40) started. It is now higher than 60%.
1 1 4 0 4 1
Iyer has made several amazing cut shots this innings. Early on, he hammered one off pacer Mohsin Khan. Now, on either side of the backwards point, he has hammered two off Rathi. Such capable hands. What a great way to use the crease. went all the way back to give himself as much time as possible to position the ball.
Fifty Prabhsimran and Iyer
Prabhsimran Singh scored six fifty-plus runs in the 2026 Indian Premier League. KL Rahul, who scored seven in 2019, is the only Punjab Kings player to have hit more in a season.
Iyer has also scored more than fifty in this IPL. corresponds to the 2025 total. Rathi has a 3-0-39-0 record, and both batters have been harsh on him. The bowler has been severely affected by second-season syndrome.
Prabh makes it through
Prince Yadav, who is by far LSG's greatest player, gives this match some vitality by dismissing Prabhsimran Singh for 62 off 33. Ayush Badoni made a great catch at cover, coming in very low to him. Yes, but according to Ajitesh Argal, the third umpire, he might not have stayed off the ground. However, it's quite near. That looked out to me. There were two fingers beneath the ball.
Prabhsimran (60 off 31) and Iyer (56 off 34) combined for 117 runs today.
Cruising PBKS
Now, the necessary rate is almost like running a ball. 36 out of 32.
The net run-rate of PBKS is already high. If they end up winning, this will be beneficial.
In the IPL 2026 powerplay, Shami took nine wickets out of a total of twelve. The only people ahead of him are Rabada (17), Bhuvi (15), Siraj (13), and Archer (10).
Iyer's task
This season, PBKS has pursued higher totals thanks to a strong opening partnership. They won't have that luxury this time. When their prospects of winning were fewer than thirty percent, their No. 4, Shreyas Iyer, was brought out in the third over. Last year, he pitched one of the best innings in their team's history to help PBKS advance to the championship game.
This season, he has also been playing well. The only issue is that he relied heavily on pre-existing platforms for much of his work. The PBKS skipper must set the groundwork and complete it today.
Prabhsimran is dropped by Pant
Tendulkar has an opportunity to take a wicket on the fourth delivery of his debut over for LSG (ever). It bounces sharply. Prabhsimran is late with the hook shot on 20 off 12. The only way he can glove it to Pant is down the leg side. The ball eventually pops out after Pant dives and applies two hands to it, but it's a challenging catch at an odd height. After seven overs, PBKS might have been 66 for 3.
Iyer and Prabh go big
Arjun Tendulkar has been destroyed after maybe taking a wicket in his opening over.
0 4 1 4 0 6
PBKS had a less than 30% chance of winning when Prabhsimran and Iyer's partnership (72* off 40) started. It is now higher than 60%.
1 1 4 0 4 1
Iyer has made several amazing cut shots this innings. Early on, he hammered one off pacer Mohsin Khan. Now, on either side of the backwards point, he has hammered two off Rathi. Such capable hands. What a great way to use the crease. went all the way back to give himself as much time as possible to position the ball.
Fifty Prabhsimran and Iyer
Prabhsimran Singh scored six fifty-plus runs in the 2026 Indian Premier League. KL Rahul, who scored seven in 2019, is the only Punjab Kings player to have hit more in a season.
Iyer has also scored more than fifty in this IPL. corresponds to the 2025 total. Rathi has a 3-0-39-0 record, and both batters have been harsh on him. The bowler has been severely affected by second-season syndrome.
Prabh makes it through
Prince Yadav, who is by far LSG's greatest player, gives this match some vitality by dismissing Prabhsimran Singh for 62 off 33. Ayush Badoni made a great catch at cover, coming in very low to him. Yes, but according to Ajitesh Argal, the third umpire, he might not have stayed off the ground. However, it's quite near. That looked out to me. There were two fingers beneath the ball.
Prabhsimran (60 off 31) and Iyer (56 off 34) combined for 117 runs today.
Cruising PBKS
Now, the necessary rate is almost like running a ball. 36 out of 32.
The net run-rate of PBKS is already high. If they end up winning, this will be beneficial.
When they play RR tomorrow, all they need to do is hope MI does them a favour.
Prabh is out for 69 off 39, by the way.
Iyer is getting close to a tonne
The PBKS captain is doing it in style.
6 0 6 2 0 6
Prabh is out for 69 off 39, by the way.
Iyer is getting close to a tonne
The PBKS captain is doing it in style.
6 0 6 2 0 6
Shami is defeated by Iyer. He is not out at 92. He hasn't yet scored a century in the IPL. He ordered his partner to win the game rather than wait for his century while he was batting on 97 not out last year.
PBKS triumphs, Iyer 101*
Shreyas Iyer has one IPL century. As long as RR loses their season finale, his club will be in the playoffs.
PBKS triumphs, Iyer 101*
Shreyas Iyer has one IPL century. As long as RR loses their season finale, his club will be in the playoffs.
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