IPL 2024, LSG vs PBKS Score: The Saturday showdown of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was a heart-stopper featuring the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). At the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow emerged triumphant by 21 runs. 'Gabbar', alias Shikhar Dhawan, couldn't salvage the game despite a spirited 70-run knock.
In response to Punjab Kings' 200-run target, Captain Dhawan's team managed to garner only 178 for 5, falling short of winning. Dhawan himself scored the most with 70 runs off 50 balls while Jonny Bairstow contributed a brisk 42 off 29 balls in their 102-run opening partnership.
However, things went awry in the middle order. Pace bowlers Mayank Yadav, snatching 3 wickets, and Mohsin Khan, with 2, broke the backbone of the Punjab team, securing a win for Lucknow. Sam Curran, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma could not resist their attack.
Punjab's inning scorecard: (178/5, 20 overs)
De Kock's blitz followed by significant innings from Pooran and Pandya
Electing to bat first, Lucknow started strong and posted a formidable 199 for 8. Opener Quinton de Kock played the leading innings, scoring a rapid-fire 54 off 38 balls. Nicholas Pooran, captaining this game, garnered a quick 42 off 21 balls and Krunal Pandya smashed an aggressive 43 off 22 balls. For Punjab, Sam Curran claimed 3 wickets while Arshdeep Singh took 2.
Lucknow's inning scorecard: (199/8, 20 overs)
Pooran captains in Rahul's absence
With KL Rahul sidelined due to fitness issues, Nicholas Pooran led the team in this clash. Pooran had disclosed that KL Rahul would participate as an impact player, and that's precisely what happened—Rahul scored 15 runs off 9 balls.
In the current season, it was the third game for Shikhar Dhawan's Punjab and the second for Lucknow. Under Rahul's captaincy, Lucknow had lost their first encounter but now clinched the second one. Punjab had won one out of three matches and lost two.
Lucknow opens their victory account for the season
Punjab had won their season opener against Delhi Capitals (DC) by 4 wickets. However, in their second game, they suffered a 4-wicket loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). On the other hand, Lucknow had lost their last match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 20 runs but now returned to winning ways.
Please note that Lucknow joined IPL in the 2022 season, making this their third season in the league. So far, there have only been four encounters between Lucknow and Punjab, with Lucknow winning three and Punjab securing one. At Lucknow's ground, both teams have faced off in just two matches, both of which have been won by LSG.
Lucknow vs Punjab head-to-head
Total matches: 4 Lucknow won: 3 Punjab won: 1
The playing XI for Lucknow-Punjab match
Lucknow Super Giants:
Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), KL Rahul/Naveen-ul-Haq (impact player), Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran (captain), Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav and M Siddharth.
Punjab Kings:
Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh/Prabhsimran Singh (impact player), and Rahul Chahar.
