Prabhsimran, Iyer shine as PBKS beat LSG by 8 wkts

Lucknow: Prabhsimran Singh smashed 69 off 34 balls to guide Punjab Kings to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Sent into bat, LSG made 171 for seven.

Nicholas Pooran top-scored for LSG with 44 off 30 balls, while Ayush Badoni (41), Aiden Markram (28) and Abdul Samad (27) too contributed with the bat to some extent.

Arshdeep Singh (3/43) was the most successful bowler for PBKS. But PBKS chased down the target with consummate ease riding on Prabhsimran’s knock, which was superbly complemented by skipper Shreyas Iyer (52 not out off 30) and Nehal Wadhera (43 off 25) as they overwhelmed the target in 16.2 overs.

Digvesh Rathi (2/30) picked up both the wickets for LSG.

Earlier, Nicholas Pooran’s 44 and Ayush Badoni’s 41 helped Lucknow Super Giants reach 171/7 after 20 overs.

After winning the toss, Punjab Kings (PBKS) made early inroads and kept the pressure on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh struck with his very first ball, dismissing in-form Mitchell Marsh for a first-ball duck. He had a good start to IPL 2025, hitting fifties in his first two innings.

The left-arm seamer banged the ball into the pitch, extracting bounce and movement, forcing Marsh into a mistimed leading edge that ballooned to Marco Jansen at short third man. Arshdeep nearly had another wicket in his second over but dropped a difficult return catch off Aiden Markram, who was on eight at the time.

With an aggressive Nicholas Pooran walking in at No.3, PBKS deployed Lockie Ferguson with the new ball, a rare move considering the Kiwi pacer usually operates with the older ball.

While Markram managed to hit Ferguson for a couple of boundaries, the express pacer had the final say, clean-bowling Markram for 28.

Brief Scores.

Lucknow Super Giants: 171 for 7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 44; Arshdeep Singh 3/43) lost to Punjab Kings: 177 for 2 in 16.2 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 69, Shreyas Iyer 52 not out, Nehal Wadhera 43 not out; Digvesh Rathi 2/30) by 8 wickets.