Punjab Kings maintained their momentum and added another victory to their kitty in IPL 2025 by drubbing Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
After winning their season opener with an eleven run win over Gujarat Titans, PBKS put up an excellent show to get the better of LSG on a spin-friendly Ekana pitch in Lucknow.
Chasing a modest 172, 'keeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh slammed a feisty 69 off 34 deliveries. Skipper Shreyas Iyer (52 not out off 30) and Nehal Wadhera (43 not out off 25) also joined the party and made light work of the chase as PBKS romped home with 8 wickets and 22 balls to spare.
For LSG, Nicholas Pooran once again top-scored with a 30-ball 44.
Take a look at the top performers with the bat:
Prabhsimran singh
Opening the innings, Prabhsimran, who got out cheaply (5 off 8 balls) in Punjab's first match against the Gujarat Titans, made his intentions clear from the word go. He hit 11 runs, including a six and a four, off the first over bowled by Shardul Thakur. He put the medium pacer under pressure right away, by drilling a full delivery on the off stump through wide mid-off for a boundary.
He then uppercut the next ball, a short one outside off, over the slip cordon for a maximum.
Prabhsimran, one of the the two players retained by Punjab ahead of the 2025 auction alongside Shashank Singh, continued to cart the LSG bowling all around the park. Ravi Bishnoi received some harsh treatment as he smashed the seasoned leggie four boundaries and a maximum in his first two overs.
Despite the challenging nature of the surface, he displayed controlled aggression, timing the ball beautifully while ensuring PBKS' chase remained on track.
By the time he got out in the 11th over following a brilliant combined fielding effort on the boundary by Ayush Badoni and Bishnoi, Prabhsimran had put Punjab in a strong position. He hammered as many as 9 fours and 3 sixes during his breathtaking 64 off 39 balls.
Shreyas Iyer
Skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored a whirlwind 42-ball 97 in Punjab's season-opener against the Gujarat Titans, continued his fine form, notching up another half-century.
Coming to the crease in the second over following opener Priyansh Arya's dismissal, Shreyas began cautiously, scoring just eight off the first seven balls he faced. He rotated the strike, allowing Prabhsimran to play the big shots.
In the sixth over bowled by M Siddharth, he cut loose, lofting the left-arm spinner over extra cover for a maximum. He hit odd boundaries to maintain momentum and keep the scoreboard ticking.
Living up to his billing as the highest-paid player in the side, he finished off the game in style, hitting a six off LSG spinner Abdul Samad over the long-on boundary.
His unbeaten 30-ball 52 was laced with three fours and four sixes.
Nehal Wadhera
Making his debut for PBKS, the former Mumbai Indians player made an instant impact, making a stroke-filled unbeaten 43 off 25 balls. Signed for Rs 4.20 crore (Rs 42 million), the 24-year-old southpaw proved his worth, playing some delightful shots, blending technique, timing, and grace.
He came to the crease following the wicket of Prabhsimran, and hit an eye-pleasing boundary off the fifth ball he faced. LSG's Digvesh Rathi sent in a googly, and Nehal rocked back and punched it through the covers.
There was class written all over as the ball hit the boundary rope in a flash. It was a stroke to cherish.
He then showcased the explosive side of his batting by hoisting Bishnoi for two huge sixes, one through extra cover and the other over wide long-on.
In the 16th over bowled by Shardul Thakur, he smashed back-to-back sixes and a boundary to ensure the chase would be completed without hiccups. In all, he hit four sixes and three boundaries to match his skipper shot by shot.
Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran, who leads the orange cap race with 189 runs in 3 matches, once again came up with an exhilarating display of brutal hitting.
Although he missed out on his third consecutive fifty in IPL 2025 by six runs, the West Indian dasher justified his high retention rate by making a brisk 44 off 30 balls, containing five fours and two sixes.
He provided the LSG innings with the much-needed impetus after they lost Mitchell Marsh and Rishabh Pant cheaply. Although he struggled with timing initially on a pitch with variable bounce, he got into the act by smashing Glenn Maxwell for back-to-back boundaries.
In the 10th over bowled by Chahal, he plundered eleven runs, including two fours and a maximum.
Although he could not convert it to a big score, Pooran helped LSG put up a decent score on the board.
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Photographs: BCCI
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