Shreyas Iyer's century keeps PBKS' playoff hopes alive as LSG 7-wicket drubbing eliminates DC

Punjab Kings (PBKS) successfully snapped their dismal six-match losing streak on Saturday, keeping their IPL playoff aspirations alive with a resounding seven-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The chase was masterheaded by captain Shreyas Iyer, who played a magnificent, unbeaten knock of 101. Partnering with Prabhsimran Singh, who smashed a blistering 69 off 39 deliveries, Shreyas anchored a vital 140-run partnership for the third wicket. Their clinical batting display allowed Punjab to comfortably hunt down Lucknow's competitive target of 196, finishing on 200 for three in just 18 overs.

PBKS rekindles Playoff hopes with crushing win over LSG

This crucial win catapulted Punjab to 15 points at the end of their 14 league fixtures, temporarily pushing them back into the coveted fourth spot on the points table. However, the franchise now faces an agonizing wait to determine their postseason fate, as their qualification heavily relies on Sunday's encounter between the Rajasthan Royals (14 points) and the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. If the Royals manage to win, they will claim the fourth playoff spot with 16 points, eliminating Punjab in the process. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders (13 points) also retain an outside chance if Rajasthan loses; that scenario would trigger a net run rate battle between KKR and PBKS for the final spot, joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Titans in the knockouts.

ALSO READ: DECODED: Here's how PBKS, KKR, RR make it to playoffs after LSG's defeat eliminates DC

Shreyas Iyer cracks maiden ton in PBKS' win

The high-pressure run chase began under immense duress for Punjab, as veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami dismantled their top order early on. Shami dismissed opener Priyansh Arya for a first-ball duck and followed it up by uprooting Cooper Connolly’s off-stump, leaving PBKS reeling. Undeterred by the early setbacks, Shreyas Iyer took complete control of the innings, commanding both pace and spin with a spectacular array of drives, pulls, and his signature flicks off the pads. He took a particular liking to spinner Digvesh Rathee, regular punishing him through the on-side.

At the other end, Prabhsimran Singh provided phenomenal support, capitalizing on dropped catches when he was on 20 and 62 to bring up his sixth half-century of the season in just 26 balls. Shreyas reached his own milestone shortly after off 33 deliveries, but once he crossed fifty, the skipper switched into a devastating gear, blasting his next 51 runs off a mere 18 balls. Even when Prabhsimran was trapped leg-before by left-arm seamer Arjun Tendulkar, the momentum never shifted. Shreyas accelerated toward the finish line by hammering Shami for three massive sixes in an over, before sealing the emphatic victory—and his maiden IPL century—with a final maximum off Mohsin Khan.

LSG sign off IPL 2026 with another big defeat

Earlier in the game, Josh Inglis played a trademark explosive knock of 72 to guide the already-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants to a competitive total of 196 for six. The target set a steep challenge for the Punjab Kings, who walked into the contest knowing a victory was absolutely vital to keep their IPL playoff qualifications alive.

The Super Giants' innings required a recovery effort after they found themselves in a precarious position at 69 for three by the seventh over. Inglis combined effectively with Rishabh Pant, who contributed a 21-ball 26, to anchor the innings with a crucial 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Inglis's 42-ball stay at the crease was a tale of two distinct phases. He began with an aggressive assault on Arshdeep Singh, hammering four boundaries in a single over to plunder 16 runs off the left-arm quick. Following this initial burst, he took a back seat to allow Ayush Badoni to take charge of the scoring after the early departures of regular opener Mitchell Marsh's replacement, Arshin Kulkarni, and Nicholas Pooran.

Badoni seized the spotlight in spectacular fashion, blasting a quick-fire 43 off just 18 deliveries. He took a special liking to the ICC's top-ranked all-rounder, Azmatullah Omarzai, decimating him for 24 runs in the fifth over with a blistering sequence of 4, 6, 6, 4. This onslaught alongside Inglis yielded 49 runs for the third wicket and successfully resurrected LSG from their early top-order stumbles, propelling them to a comfortable 66 for two by the end of the powerplay.

The entertaining cameo came to an end when Yuzvendra Chahal deceived Badoni, resulting in a sharp stumping by Prabhsimran Singh that was upheld by the Decision Review System (DRS). Following Badoni's dismissal, Inglis broke out of his temporary lull and reignited his innings by once again targeting Arshdeep, dismantling him with a consecutive six and two boundaries. In total, the Australian batsman took six fours and two sixes off Arshdeep, compounding the Indian pacer's difficult season.

This brought Pant into the middle to join Inglis. Although the Indian keeper-batsman was far from his fluent best—and benefited from a dropped catch by Shreyas Iyer on 18 off Chahal's bowling—he provided crucial stability at the other end. Inglis brought up his half-century off 28 deliveries before Pant was eventually undone by Chahal, who finished with impressive figures of 2 for 25.

Inglis's fine knock finally ended when he offered a straightforward catch to Shreyas Iyer at a strategically placed straight long-on off the part-time bowling of Shashank Singh. Abdul Samad provided some late fireworks with an unbeaten 20-ball 37, but after Mukul Choudhary fell cheaply to Marco Jansen, Lucknow's momentum slowed down just enough to keep them from breaching the 200-run milestone.