PK continue unbeaten streak with dominant win over LSG

KATHMANDU: In a thrilling encounter on Tuesday night, Punjab Kings secured their second consecutive victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets.

The outstanding performances by opener Prabhsimran Singh and captain Shreyas Iyer guided Punjab to a comfortable win, maintaining their perfect start to the season.

With this victory, Punjab Kings have now accumulated four points from two matches, sitting atop the points table. In their opening match, Punjab had defeated Gujarat Titans by 11 runs.

On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants suffered their second successive loss, having played three matches and earned only two points.

Lucknow won the toss and opted to bat first. At the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekna Cricket Stadium, they managed to score 171/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Nicholas Pooran was the top scorer for Lucknow with a knock of 44 runs. Ayush Badani contributed with 41 runs, while Aiden Markram (28), Abdul Samad (27), and David Miller (19) also played notable roles.

However, the rest of the batters failed to reach double figures.

Punjab’s bowlers were exceptional, with Arshdeep Singh leading the charge.

The left-arm pacer took three wickets for 43 runs in his four overs. Lokie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, and Yuzvendra Chahal each claimed one wicket apiece, restricting Lucknow to a modest total.

Chasing a target of 172, Punjab Kings made light work of the chase, reaching 177/2 in just 16.2 overs.

Openers Prabhsimran Singh played an aggressive knock of 69 runs off 34 balls, smashing nine boundaries and three sixes.

Captain Shreyas Iyer, who had missed a century by just three runs in the previous game against Gujarat, finished unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes. He sealed the win with a six on the final ball, completing his half-century in style.

Nehal Vadhera also contributed with an unbeaten 43 off 25 balls, striking three fours and four sixes.

Prayan Arya was dismissed for eight runs, but Punjab’s dominance was evident as they cruised to the target without much trouble.

Lucknow’s bowler Digvijay Rathi was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets for 30 runs in his four overs.

However, his efforts were not enough to prevent Punjab from continuing their unbeaten run in the IPL.

With this comprehensive victory, Punjab Kings have firmly established their dominance in the tournament, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.