Punjab Kings (PBKS) broke no sweat to hammer Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by eight wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter at the Ekana cricket stadium on Monday, April 1. Prabhsimran Singh produced a stunning knock, scoring a blistering 69 runs off just 34 balls riding on nine fours and three sixes, laying the foundation for Punjab's victory while chasing a target of 172 on a pitch that offered both grip and inconsistent bounce. Punjab got off to a flying start, largely due to Prabhsimran's aggressive batting in the initial ten overs. He dismantled the LSG bowling attack, hitting nine boundaries and three sixes, effectively taking the game away from the home side.
Following Prabhsimran's explosive start, it became a relatively straightforward task for his captain Shreyas Iyer, who remained unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls, guiding his team to victory in just 16.2 overs. This loss further compounded the struggles for Lucknow Super Giants and their out-of-form captain Rishabh Pant, who appeared to lack answers to Punjab's dominance. Young Nehal Wadhera, after an initial period of difficulty, also gained momentum and contributed a confidence-boosting unbeaten 43 off 25 balls towards the end of the innings, ensuring a comfortable win for the Punjab Kings.
Earlier, Punjab Kings' bowling attack, spearheaded by the consistently reliable Arshdeep Singh, effectively dismantled LSG' top order within the initial six overs. Despite valuable contributions from the in-form Nicholas Pooran, who scored 44 runs off 30 balls, and Ayush Badoni, who added 41 runs off 33 balls, their efforts were ultimately insufficient to post a challenging total on the scoreboard for LSG.
Shreyas Iyer reacts after leading PBKS to 8-wicket win over LSG
Meanwhile, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer was thrilled with his team's robust performance against LSG. While lauding his team, he said every individual contributed to the best of their ability and whatever discussed in the team meeting was ably executed. Not just this, on being asked about the right team combination, Shreyas said:
"To be honest, there's no right combination. Just that the camaraderie and synergy has to click at the right time. I feel all teams have the right potential to go out there and win the game. It's just that you need to have the similar kind of mindset when you go out there. I always try to be in the present as much as possible. Even this innings is now history for me. Just want to focus on the next one now," Shreyas said in the post-match presentation.
"It is the start we required. Boys played their role really well. Every individual contributed to the best of their ability and whatever was discussed in the team meeting, we implemented really well," he concluded.
PBKS will now take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 5 while LSG will face Mumbai Indians on April 4.