IPL 2026: Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, Match 68 - Who Said What?

Published - 23 May 2026, 22:58 IST | Updated - 23 May 2026, 23:33 IST

Punjab Kings kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a dominant seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants. PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first. LSG suffered early blows, but Josh Inglis anchored the innings with a brilliant 72 off 44 balls, while Ayush Badoni added 43 off 18 and Abdul Samad smashed an unbeaten 37 off 20 to help LSG post 196/6. Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up two wickets each for PBKS.

In reply, PBKS chased the target in just 18 overs despite losing Priyansh Arya on the first ball. Prabhsimran Singh scored 69 off 39, while Shreyas Iyer starred with a sensational unbeaten 101 off 51 balls. Their 140-run stand sealed the win and knocked Delhi Capitals out of the tournament.

LSG lost two wickets in quick succession, but Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis played a brilliant counterattacking knock. He scored 72 off 44 balls, smashing nine fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 163.64. Inglis also stitched together an important partnership with Rishabh Pant, helping Lucknow Super Giants recover and post a competitive total on the board.

Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer completely dominated the chase for Punjab Kings. Prabhsimran scored a quickfire 69 off 39 balls, while skipper Iyer led from the front with a sensational unbeaten 101 off 51 deliveries. The duo added a massive partnership and guided PBKS to victory in style, with Iyer finishing the game with a six.

Punjab Kings stayed alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race with the seven-wicket win over LSG. The victory boosted their chances significantly as they now remain dependent on the outcomes of the remaining league matches. PBKS have kept the door open for a place in the next round and remain firmly in contention for the final playoff spot.

Initial thoughts are - it's a tough one. Still have to bite the bullet regardless of everything. Always you can get 5-10 more but I think there was enough on the total. But at the same time you know batting gets easier in the second innings at Ekana. Want to look at the positives as a team. Sometimes idea without accountability is the harder thing to do.

I'm ecstatic to be honest. It's my first hundred and came at the right time when the team needed it. Elated by their performance (the bowlers). It's a surreal feeling when you finish off the game and score a century. Today was one of the days was when I felt super. We didn't say anything, just kept it simple. Today I literally told Ricky that let's not do any team meetings.