Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Apr 19 Full score card

A convincing 54-run win for the Punjab Kings. Jansen hurls it on a length, outside off. Himmat flat bats it back at the bowler. No time for Jansen to react as he sticks out his left hand. The ball deflects off his hand towards cover for a single.

Last ball coming up. Himmat Singh, LSG's Impact Sub, walks out to face that.

OUT! CAUGHT! Finally, PBKS hold onto a catch, and once again, the camera pans to the PBKS dugout, where Ricky Ponting shows no emotion at all. Jansen continues to push it across the right-hander, on a length. Aiden moves across the sticks and looks to launch it down the ground. Skies it towards long off, where Marcus Stoinis settles under it and gets low to take the catch.

FOUR! The ball flies in the air as does the bat. On a good length, leaving the right-hander. Aiden Markram flashes and flashes hard at it. Aiden loses grip on the bat and it balloons behind the stumps. The ball flies wide of short third to his right for a boundary.

PUT DOWN! The drops are spreading quickly across the field. Cross-seam ball, on a length, outside off. Mukul Choudhary swings for the hills by shuffling across. Slices it off the outer half towards short third. Prabhsimran Singh, with the gloves, calls for the catch and moves across to his right. Yuzvendra Chahal is right under it but he moves away to avoid bumping into the keeper. Perhaps that played on the mind of Prabhsimran, who could not hold onto it.

Slower and fuller, going away. Aiden swats it to long on and crosses over.

Across off, on a shortish length, Choudhary pulls it through mid-wicket for a single.

Last over to go. Marco Jansen to wrap things up. 3-0-29-1 so far.

Low full toss, on leg. Mukul Choudhary tonks it using his bottom hand to long on for a single.

Takes pace off and goes into the surface, over middle. Mukul Choudhary does not pick the change of pace and fails to connect on the pull.

IN THE AIR AND DROPPED AGAIN! Is it a doppelganger? No, it's Shashank for the third time. Wherever Shashank is going, the ball is following him, it seems. It's just not been a good outing for him in the field. Shreyas Iyer at long on sees the funny side of it. But the camera pans to the PBKS dugout, with Ponting with a blank face as the head coach just cannot believe it. Short and wide outside off, slower at 114.3 kph. Mukul decides to take it on, fetching it from well outside off and launching it aerially towards deep backward square leg. Shashank Singh comes in from the deep and makes a meal of it once again. The batters cross for two runs.

Fuller in length and outside off. Aiden Markram laces it down to long off for a single.

WIDE! Takes all the pace off and digs in a bumper, but it goes over the head of the batter. Markram tries to smoke that with the pull shot but it goes over his angled bat.

FOUR! Width offered, and Aiden cashes in! Bartlett errs in line and length. High full toss but below the waist, outside off. Markram extends his hands and slaps it through point for four more.

FOUR! It flies away! Xavier Bartlett misses the yorker and slips a thigh-high full toss, outside off. Aiden Markram flashes hard at it and the ball flies off the outside edge over short third for a four.

Last 2 overs left. PBKS are inches closer to get a massive win. Xavier Bartlett (3-0-41-0) will bowl out.

Full and on middle. Markam powers it down the ground to long off for one.

SIX! What happened there? Ricky Ponting in the dugout is not happy one bit. Total misjudgement from Shashank Singh. Second time tonight that Shashank has made an error in the field. Seam-up ball, angling away, full in length. Aiden carves it off the outer half and it is skied to deep cover. Singh gets around to his right but feels that the ball is going to sail over his head. He turns around and watches the ball land on the boundary cushions on the full. A hand of apology straight away from Shashank.

Wide yorker from Singh, Choudhary moves across and slices it to deep point for one.

Just in! Arshdeep pushes it even wider from the right-hander and nearly a yorker. Choudhary reaches out but fails to connect. Mukul feels it should be a wide and takes the review. The replays show that Choudhary had moved across and the tramline moved with him. The ball is within the guideline and it is a fair delivery.

FOUR! Streaky! Leaving the right-hander with the angle, on a length. Mukul Choudhary swings for the hills, but the ball flies off a thickish outside edge over short third for a four.

Bangs it in short, on off. Mukul Choudhary stays leg side to glide it over the keeper but misses.

What are you appealing for, Vyshak? A comical appeal for LBW from the speedster on a Free Hit. Angled in, on middle and leg, very full, Aiden clears the front leg but is beaten on the inside edge. The ball raps him on the back leg before dribbling to short third.

NO BALL! Third bouncer of the over. Vyshak dishes out the slower bouncer again, over middle. Markram gets his hands to play the forehand down the line but misses. Vyshak is not happy with the call but PBKS get on with it. Free Hit coming up.

On a shortish length, over middle. Aiden Markram gets on his toes and goes for the pull but he is through the shot early and fails to connect.

Pace off, on the shorter side, outside off. Mukul drags it to deep square leg for one.

SIX! Clean as a whistle! The helicopter is out. Angled in, on a length, on middle and leg. Mukul Choudhary clears the front leg and brings his bottom hand into play. He mows it over wide long on for a biggie.

On a hard length, around off, Mukul Choudhary arches back and initially looks for the pull but then adjusts to play the upper cut. He fails to connect.

Low full toss, on off. Aiden drops low and smears it to long on for one.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Punjab Kings, with all the spot-on execution in this middle over phase, will surely believe that this is their game to lose now. LSG kept losing wickets and to be fair to them, the mountain they are chasing just demanded to do that. However, the tinkering with the batting order hasn't worked well for the visitors. But they will still aim to get as close as possible until Markram is there in the middle. With 97 needed off 24 balls, Vijaykumar Vyshak (3-0-21-1) is back on.

Nails the yorker this time, on middle. Aiden drills it to long on for just a single.

SIX MORE! A gift and Markram accepts it gleefully. Yorker gone wrong for Xavier Bartlett. It comes out as a thigh-high full toss, angled in, on leg. Aiden picks it up nicely and clubs it over mid-wicket for half a dozen.

SIX! All the way! On a back of a length, on middle. Markram clears the front leg and stands tall. Whips it flat to the left of deep mid-wicket for a six. LSG need many more of these. Realistically, the target looks far-fetched, so it is more about cutting down the margin of defeat.

Pace off now and the length is dragged back but the line stays near the tramline. Mukul drags it down to long on and crosses over.

Nice and full, not allowing Markram to get under the ball. Aiden hits it to long off for one more.

Slips in the wide yorker. Mukul Choudhary looks to whip it away helicopter style but jams it out to long off for a single.

Slow and full, around off. Mukul presses ahead and dabs it wide of point for a single.

Fuller length, slower one, outside the off stump. Markram drags it to deep square leg for a single.

Short and on middle. This is pulled to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Steep bumper, over middle. Mukul ducks under the projectile.

Nicholas Pooran bites the dust. Another scratchy outing for the Trinidadian. In walks Mukul Choudhary.

OUT! CAUGHT EASILY! Jansen strikes and Pooran's lean run continues with the bat this season. Fuller, outside off. It is the deceptive knuckle ball from Jansen. Pooran clears his front leg and looks to go big down the ground, but fails to read the variation and mistimes it badly off the toe end. Iyer moves to his right at long on and takes a good running catch. LSG are 139/4, chasing 255.

Slants it into the batter, full in length. Aiden Markram clips it to deep square leg for a single.

Slides it on leg, on a length, this is flicked to deep mid-wicket for a run.

IN THE AIR AND DROPPED! Geez, that went to the moon and came down. But Shashank has completely misjudged this one. Full in length and a googly on the leg stump. Pooran goes down on a knee for the slog sweep, but tries to hit it too hard as he targets the longer boundary. Gets it high in the air towards Shashank at deep square leg. Shashank stabilises himself but misjudges the trajectory of the ball. Dives to his right at the last second but drops it. A single taken.

Pushed fuller on middle. Aiden tries to smash it straight but gets the connection off the inner half and it rolls to long on for a single.

Very full again, on the leg pole. Pooran carves it to the mid-wicket region for a single.

Too full and on middle. Pooran squeezes it straight back at the bowler.

Flat and full, skidding through. Markram goes for the pull, but inside edges it to deep square leg for a single.

FOUR! Ramped over! Short and just outside off. Pooran gets underneath it and opens the blade at the last moment. Adjusts to ramp it between the keeper and short third for four runs.

Nips in from a fuller length, on middle. Markram drills it down to long on for a single.

Arshdeep Singh answers the skipper's call. Aiden Markram walks out to bat. The bat he walks out with does not pass through the gauge, so he will have to change it. The replacement passes the check.

OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT BEHIND! Excellent execution again rewards the bowler. Wide yorker outside off. Pant shuffles across and bends, moving away from the off stump. Opens the face to slice it through third man but gets it off the outside edge and there is a deviation as well. The ball goes flat to the left of the keeper, offering a catching practice for Prabhsimran behind the stumps. Loud appeal and the finger goes up. Pant is unconvinced and calls for the review. UltraEdge shows a clear spike, but Pant walks back to his crease, believing it is the bat hitting the ground and not the outside edge. The third umpire spots the deflection, and the on-field decision stands.

Slightly fuller in length, on leg. Nicholas Pooran clears the front leg, gets down on a knee and whips it aerially and on the bounce between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket. Xavier Bartlett sprints to his left from the latter position and flicks the ball to the other converging fielder from deep square leg before running over the ropes. Saves two for his team.

WIDE! Slips in the full toss down leg, but Pooran misses to whip that away. Wide called.

Full and tailing onto the pads. Nicholas Pooran flicks it to the right of deep square leg for a couple of runs.

Full and straight on off, Pant drills it down to long on for a single.

A confident shout for LBW! Turned down by the umpire. Prabhsimran Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal are pretty convinced. Shreyas Iyer sends it upstairs. Where has this pitched? This is bowled quicker through the air, full and around leg from over the wicket. Nicholas Pooran gets down on a knee for the slog sweep but misses and gets hit on the crouched back thigh. No bat involved, but the Ball Tracking confirms that the ball has pitched outside the line.

Full and on leg, that is flicked away through mid wicket for a single.

SIX! Hand comes off but it sails all the way! Pitched full and on the stumps. Rishabh Pant advances down the track, gets under it and despite the bottom hand losing the grip, he manages to smoke the ball over long on for a six.

SIX! Nearly a perfect team effort in the deep. Full and flighted, just outside off. Pant drops to a knee and swings hard across the line for the slog sweep. Gets it high but not far enough. Arya charges to his right from deep mid-wicket and takes it near the ropes with his hands stretched forward. Realising that he is about to touch the ropes, he lobs the ball to the converging fielder from long on and Jansen takes it nicely. But the umpires want to have a look at the legality of the catch. The replays show that Arya's foot is grazing the boundary cushion while having the ball in hand. So it will be a six.

Another special effort from PBKS? Not quite. Priyansh Arya's feet are in contact with the boundary cushions when he has the ball in hand.

Leg bye! On a good length, turning into the pads. Pooran is beaten on the flick. A leg bye is taken as the ball clips the pads and rolls to square leg.

Yuzvendra Chahal gets his just reward. Nicholas Pooran makes his way out to the middle.

OUT! MISTIMED AND CAUGHT! Chahal fishes out the Bison and gets rewarded for exceptional execution. Chahal invites the batter by flighting the ball at 86.7 kph. Full and pitching outside off. Marsh sits down on a knee and goes for the slog sweep across the line. Gets it off the bottom of the bat. Ends up hitting it flat and straight to his Australian teammate Xavier Bartlett at long on. Marsh has a wry smile as he walks off. Lucknow Super Giants are 109/2, needing 146 more runs.

The physio is out for Rishabh Pant. The magic spray is being applied to the right elbow of the LSG skipper, not the one he took a blow to the other night against RCB. There is going to be a change of ball. Xavier Bartlett walks over to the umpires to check which ball is being picked. Another change of bat for Mitchell Marsh. Will this help Marsh get a move on, because the time is running out for LSG?

Excellent wide yorker, outside off. Pant doesn't get the leverage to put his bat under the ball to slam it over cover and misses to connect. Just 12 runs from the last 2 overs for LSG and the asking rate has zoomed up to 16.22.

Pushed outside off, on a fuller length. Rishabh Pant tries to smoke the slower one down the ground, but inside edges it and the ball rolls back to Prabhsimran.

A low full toss at pace, on middle. Mitchell Marsh is a bit late on the shot and lofts it off the toe end to long on for a single.

Good deception! Slows it up, does Vyshak, on a length outside off. Mitchell Marsh swings the bat to pull in January, but the ball arrives in December to beat him all ends up.

Pushed fuller and on middle and leg. Pant gets low and tries to slog it over deep mid-wicket, but inside edges on the thigh pad as the ball rolls away to the off side for a single.

FOUR! Much needed to break free! Slower bumper, at shoulder height. Pant rises up and fetches it from outside off. Drags it wide of mid-wicket for a boundary.

WIDE! Short of a good length, down leg. Pant gets inside the line to pull it behind on the leg side, but misses.

Halfway done. Lucknow Super Giants are 102/1, needing 153 runs from 60 balls. The last couple of overs have been quiet, credit to the spot on defensive bowling on a belter of a pitch.

Only 5 singles from the over. Outstanding work from Chahal. Yuzi tosses it up, on a length. Pant advances but can only nudge it to square leg and pick up a single. Just 13 runs off the last 2 overs.

Pushed through from the front of the hand, very full, on leg. Marsh knocks it to long on for one.

This is slowed down at 76.1 kph, and the length is pulled back. Pant hacks it across the line to deep mid-wicket for another single. 11 balls since the last boundary for LSG.

Keeps it away from the batter's arc, on a length, a hint of turn. Marsh reaches out and powers it to deep cover for a run.

At the toes, on the fuller side. Rishabh wrists it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Short and on off, that is cut away but straight to the fielder at point.

Superb stuff from Vyshak. Mixed his pace, lines and lengths up all over and kept the batters guessing. He goes for just 8 runs and the required run rate has now climbed to 14.36. On the shorter side, on off. Pant shovels it to short fine leg and takes a quick single.

So far, so good from Vyshak. Vijaykumar gets it full enough to deny Marsh the leverage to get under it. Marsh can only hit this along the ground to long off and cross over.

This is nice and tight, on top of off, on a back of a length. Rishabh is cramped for room and chops it through point for one.

Wide! Going across, slower bouncer, Pant thinks about going after it but then bails out. He watches the ball sail over his head. Wide given for height.

Missed out! Vyshak looks for the yorker but gets it wrong. Marsh swings at it but mishits the low full toss to long off. Just a single.

Change of bat for Marsh. Looks like the previous one took a bad hit on the bottom. He gets it exchanged and is good to continue.

On a hard length, on off. Rishabh shimmies and spanks it to the left of long off for one.

Low full toss, on leg, this is driven through mid on for a single.

Wide! Banged in short, slower ball, this is too high and it is left alone for the keeper to collect.

Switch of ends for Vijaykumar Vyshak. 1-0-6-1 so far. He replaces Marco Jansen.

Short and on off, Marsh chops it down in front of point and hurries to the other end. The fielder has a shy at the bowling end but misses. It would have been interesting had the throw hit.

SIX! Marsh absolutely picked the bones out of it. Chahal offers flight, full and wide on off. Mitchell is made to reach out and he nails the slog sweep. Hits it flat and wide of deep mid-wicket for a six.

Not in control but safe! Flat and this is shorter, on leg. Pant crouches for the half-pull but he fails to ride the bounce. It balloons off the glove and drops in front of short fine leg. They sneak in a quick single.

Floated up by Chahal, full and on middle. Rishabh sinks to a knee and shapes up for the slog sweep. He is beaten in the air but goes through with the shot. Hits it between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for a couple.

On a length, attacking the front pad. Rishabh plants his front foot across and clips it neatly to the right of deep mid-wicket. He takes the first run hard and completes the second before the throw comes in from the deep.

Drops it short, on off, does not rise much. Marsh flat bats it down to long on for a single. Chahal got away with one here, as this was a half-tracker.

7 overs done, and only 1 run separates both teams at the moment. PBKS were 77/1 at the same stage. And here comes Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack, replacing Vijaykumar Vyshak.

Oh, an audacious attempt but it does not come off. Jansen takes pace off and bowls it on a good length, Rishabh hangs low and goes for the reverse but misses.

SIX MORE! This is even bigger! Jansen drags his length back a bit, on middle. A Rishabh Pant special as he charges down the track and goes through the line of the ball. The top hand comes off the bat handle, but it does not matter. Rishabh parks it towards the sight screen for half a dozen more.

SIX! Pant goes big! Jansen hurls a full ball, on the off stump. Rishabh gets the ball right in the slot and he collapses his back knee before pumping it over long on for a six.

Pace off now, into the surface, outside off. Marsh mistimes the pull and the ball lands safely in the vacant mid-wicket region for one.

Pant is greeted with a bumper. Around the left shoulder, Rishabh swivels nicely and gets his hands high to control the pull down to deep fine leg. Pant is off the mark with a single.

Jansen steams in from around the wicket and tucks the Aussie up for room with a hard-length delivery. Marsh swings away for the pull and one hand comes off the bat handle. It goes behind square leg for a single.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Disappointment for Badoni, but after playing a breezy knock and giving LSG a positive start in a mountainous run chase. The pitch is a belter, no doubt about that, and Marsh has settled in nicely at the other end. LSG will need him to dig in and go deep from here if they want to take this close. It will be interesting to see how they go about it when the likes of Chahal come into the attack in that middle phase. No Markram yet, as Rishabh Pant, the skipper, walks in at number 3. He is in search of runs as well, and it's a perfect opportunity for the captain to lead from the front. Marco Jansen (1-0-10-0) to continue after the break.

OUT! CAUGHT! Vijaykumar Vyshak ends the Powerplay for his side in the best possible fashion. Seam-up ball, on a length, outside off. Badoni stands with an open stance and swings hard at it. He loses his shape in the process and miscues it off the inner half. Spoons it to mid-wicket, where Xavier Bartlett takes a few steps to his left and completes the catch at shoulder height. At the end of 6 overs, LSG are 61/1, chasing 255.

Brings out the loopy slower yorker at 111.1 kph, outside off. Badoni takes it on the full and drills it hard but picks out the man at cover. This has been a good comeback from Vyshak after a boundary on the first ball. Can he finish well?

Slips in another yorker, outside off. This is at 141.6 kph, Badoni throws his hands at it but the ball sneaks under his blade.

This is in the blockhole, in line with the off stump. Marsh squeezes it out to extra cover. They cross.

Very full, angled in, on middle and leg. Ayush digs it out to the right of mid on and turns the strike over.

FOUR! Creamed away! Vyshak goes full in search of swing and finds a bit of away shape. Ends up being a half-volley and Badoni gets his hands through to crack the drive through covers.

Vijaykumar Vyshak to bowl the final over of the Powerplay.

Length ball, on middle, clipped to the mid-wicket region for a single.

FOUR! Sumptuous shot! Straightish delivery on a slightly fuller length, around off. Ayush gets on top of it and drives it to the right of mid off for a boundary. He has played a couple of pleasing strokes so far, has Badoni.

FOUR! Adventurous! Full outside off, slower ball. Badoni shuffles across and scoops it over short fine leg for a boundary. 50 UP FOR THE SUPER GIANTS!

Short of a length at the pads, skidding through the surface. Marsh goes for the big heave across the line, misses the inside edge and the ball deflects off the front pad towards point. Leg bye taken.

Nice and full, outside off, at 122 kph. Mitchell Marsh drives the ball hard, but Shreyas Iyer at mid off does well to dive to his left and cut it off.

Short of a length, outside off. Ayush Badoni square cuts it to deep backward point for a single.

Marco Jansen comes into the attack as the first bowling change.

FOUR! Good effort from Arshdeep, in vain though! Too full and straight on the stumps. Mitchell Marsh plays with a straight bat and drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground. Arshdeep Singh rushes across to his left with a slide from long on, even gets his hand on the ball, but ends up parrying it to the fence.

Goes for the yorker, but ends up serving a low full toss on middle. Marsh drills it straight back at the bowler. Bartlett gets low to his right on the follow-through and collects it.

Slower ball on a length outside off, Badoni goes back and across and pushes it to the left of mid off for a single.

FOUR! Just beats the fielder! Much fuller, around off. Badoni swings hard and slices it to deep backward point. Priyansh Arya runs across to his left from deep point and tries to palm the ball back in with a dive, but the ball goes under his body for a four.

SIX! Top shot! Xavier goes full and looks for swing, but it holds its line, on off. Ayush keeps his base stable, head steady and bludgeons it over long on for a beautiful six and holds the pose as well.

Short of a length outside off, swings away. Badoni clears the front leg and muscles it to mid-wicket off the inner half.

FOUR! Sublime hit! Too full, on off, Marsh presents the straight bat and drives it down the ground. Arshdeep gets a bit of hand on it to his left, but deflects it behind to the ropes.

FOUR! Streaky. Arshdeep targets the base of the leg pole with a venomous inswinging yorker. Marsh sees it late, yanks his front leg out of the way and nutmegs himself, but somehow gets the bat down in time to squeeze it out. An inside edge is found and the ball races away to the deep fine leg fence.

In the air... dropped! The difficulty level was high on this one, but Shreyas put in a good effort. Full and around off, shaping away. Marsh tries to take the slot ball on, but slices it in the air, wide of mid off. Shreyas Iyer covers a lot of ground, running over his left shoulder and stretches his hands out but can't cling on. Two taken.

Swings in a touch, on a fractionally fuller length. Ayush Badoni heaves it off the inside half of the willow, and gets it to the right of mid-wicket. Vijaykumar Vyshak sprints a long way to the deep and slides to flick the ball in before the ropes. Three taken.

Responds with a fiery yorker, does Arshdeep, aimed at the sticks. Ayush does well enough to jam it out.

FOUR! Not from the middle, but through the gap! Hard length, nipping away from middle to off. Ayush Badoni stands tall and hoicks the ball across off the inner half. He manages to hit it into the mid-wicket and mid on gap for a boundary.

A good-length delivery, sharply swinging away, fairly outside off. Marsh opts to leave again and has a smirk at the bowler.

A hint of an away movement, at 135.3 kph, on a hard length, outside off. Mitchell Marsh watches the ball closely before leaving.

Full and swinging slightly away from off. Mitchell Marsh looks to launch it over mid off, but ends up slicing it over extra cover for two runs.

New balls, please! It seems that the ball has been lost in the crowd somewhere and is not retrievable. So the fourth umpire walks out with a box of replacement balls. The replacement has been picked by the on-field umps, and we are good to go.

SIX! Picked up and dispatched! Not all that short from Xavier, on middle and leg. Mitchell Marsh first presses forward, reads the length, hangs back and nails the pull shot deep into the stands behind deep square leg. That is some hit by the Big Bison.

Bartlett sees Marsh advancing down the track and cramps him with a hard length ball, on leg. All Marsh could do was adjust to the length and line and pat the ball back to the bowler.

Hits the pitch hard with a length ball, outside off. Badoni dabs it to the right of short third for a single.

WIDE! Swings down leg from a hard length, at 129.7 kph. Ayush Badoni leaves. Prabhsimran Singh moves to his left to gather it.

A probing first over from Arshdeep Singh. Xavier Bartlett will operate from the other end.

The yorker is hammered in, around off and middle, with a bit of tail into the batter. Mitchell Marsh watchfully smothers it on the pitch. A very rhythmic opening over from Arshdeep.

Back of a length, on top of middle, swinging in. Ayush Badoni hangs back and whips it to the left of deep square leg for a single.

Shapes in on a good length. Badoni blocks it off the back foot.

A big, confident appeal for LBW, but the umpire reckons it is not straight enough and shakes his head. After a long discussion with the keeper and the bowler, Shreyas Iyer opts not to go for a review. A banana swing back into the batter, on a fuller length, possibly sliding down leg as well. Ayush Badoni plays all over it and seems to have got an inside edge back on the pads. And indeed, the UltraEdge later shows that the ball grazed the inside edge.

Oh, some away movement this time. Hard length, curving away from leg to middle. Ayush Badoni hops off and drops it down the pitch with soft hands.

Pitched full and just outside leg. Marsh plays from the crease and flicks it to the mid-wicket region for a single to get LSG underway.

OUT! STOINIS IS RUN OUT! PBKS finish with 254/7. Yorker, nailed around leg. Marcus Stoinis flicks this through mid-wicket. Marcus completes the first run and turns for the second as well. Nicholas Pooran picks it up and throws it at the batting end. He hits with Stoinis well short of his ground.

Jansen would feel that he has missed out on a scoring opportunity here. Full toss, around the pads, Marco Jansen swings but gets only an inside edge onto his pads. The batters sneak in a single as the ball dribbles beside the strip on the off side. Prince charges towards the ball and picks it up. He turns around and has a shy at the bowling end but misses. Rishabh Pant did not like Yadav having a shy, given the risk of overthrows, and gave him a mouthful.

Marco Jansen walks in next with 2 legal balls left in the innings.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another short one, slower and on off. Shashank Singh rises with the bounce and looks to flat bat this over the fielder at mid on. He mistimes the hit and Aiden Markram times his jump well and takes a good catch to his left.

Full and wide outside off, Marcus Stoinis drives this to deep point for one.

Short of a length, slower one, around middle and leg. Shashank Singh hooks this to long leg and takes a single. Singh was looking at the second but he slipped on the turn.

Low full toss, on middle and leg, Marcus tucks this to deep square leg for a single. 250 comes up for PBKS. Harsha Bhogle informs that this is the first time a side has reached 250 against LSG.

Prince Yadav (3-0-20-1) to close out the innings. He has been LSG's best bowler tonight. Can he end well?

FOUR! Full toss, on middle and leg, Shashank Singh shuffles across again and flicks this to the left of the fielder at short fine leg for a boundary.

SIX! Shashank goes big and out of the park. On a length, around off, Shashank Singh slogs this out of the park from the middle of his bat for a biggie over the deep mid-wicket fence.

WIDE! Back of a length, way too wide outside the tramline of off. Despite Singh moving across the stumps, the umpire calls it a wide.

Short and wide of off, Marcus Stoinis hits this to sweeper cover for a single.

SIX! This has been dispatched as well. Short and wide around off, Marcus Stoinis settles behind it and hits this for a flat six over long on.

Slower short one, flirting with the tramline. Marcus Stoinis lets it go. He has a look at the umpire but does not get the signal of wide he was looking for. Marcus does not review this time.

Shami bowls it on a back of a length, around off. Marcus shuffles a long way across and leaves it. The umpire doesn't call it as a wide and Stoinis sends this upstairs. Since Marcus shuffled across the wide guideline moved with him, and the replay shows that some part of the ball was inside the revised guideline, and the on-field decision stays.

WIDE! Another one, short and way too wide outside off. Wided.

WIDE! Short and wide outside off, Stoinis swings at it but misses out as this is way too wide.

Who bowls the 19th over? Rishabh Pant turns to Mohammad Shami. 3-0-36-1 so far for Shami.

Wide yorker, around off, Shashank Singh ends up chopping this to the left of the keeper. They think about sneaking in a single, but Rishabh Pant cuts it off quickly.

LEG BYE! On a length, around the pads, Marcus looks to go for a flick but misses and gets thud on the pads. Leg bye taken as the ball rolls to square leg.

FOUR! Marcus is having a party as well. Attempted yorker goes wrong and ends up in the slot for Marcus Stoinis. The Hulk gets right underneath it and smashes this up and over the bowler for a boundary in front of the sight screen.

Short and wide of off, Marcus Stoinis leaves it expecting a wide but the umpire keeps his arms down.

SIX! As flat as it could have been. Back of a length, around off, Marcus Stoinis puts a lot of power behind it and flat bats this over the fence towards the wide long on region for a biggie.

FOUR! Edged away! Good length, on middle and off, ​​Marcus Stoinis flashes and gets an outside edge. It flies past the keeper to his right and races to the third man fence for four.

Mohsin Khan is done with his quota of 4 overs, and in comes Avesh Khan to replace him.

SIX! Shashank Singh starts with a biggie as well. Tossed up, around off, Shashank Singh gets right underneath it and smashes this over the fence around the sight screen for six runs.

Shashank Singh is in next.

OUT! CAUGHT! LSG are doing well to drag things back by picking up wickets at regular intervals. A bit short, around middle and off, Nehal Wadhera goes for the pull but fails to get enough power behind it and ends up finding Nicholas Pooran at deep mid-wicket. Pooran runs in off the ropes and completes the catch.

SIX! Low full toss, around leg again, Nehal Wadhera once again shuffles across the stumps and laps this behind the stumps for a biggie towards the fine leg region.

FOUR! Full toss, around middle and leg, Nehal Wadhera goes a long way across and looks to scoop this over the short fine leg fielder but gets it off the gloves, and it races past the left of short fine leg for four. Manimaran Siddharth wanted a review for LBW, but Pant says that Nehal had hit it and doesn't opt for it.

Full toss, wide outside off, Marcus pumps this down to long off for a single.

Darted onto the pads from around the stumps. Nehal Wadhera gets an inside edge onto the shoe and the batters run one. Rishabh Pant picks it up from around short leg and throws it towards the bowler's end to induce a run out but hits Nehal instead on the back of the leg.

Lucknow Super Giants are using their Impact Sub now. Mohsin Khan has been substituted by Himmat Singh.

Mohsin Khan is substituted by Himmat Singh

Rolls his fingers over the ball and this is fuller, outside off. Nehal presses forward and dabs it to the left of point for one. 3 runs and a wicket from the over. 17/3 in the last 3 overs.

Around the off pole, on a nagging length. Wadhera stabs it down the strip.

On a good length, on the off stump. This is pushed away to point for a single.

Serves it full, outside off, Wadhera drives it away to deep point for a single. 13 balls since the last boundary, looked impossible when Arya and Connolly were going great guns.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Three wickets in three overs for LSG and the fightback is on. However, with 193 already on the board, Punjab will still be targeting anything in excess of 240 runs. The momentum is with Lucknow right now and they will look to keep picking up wickets. The Kings have a bit more firepower to come but with plenty of deliveries still remaining, they will try not to build ahead of steam and lose more wickets. Let's see how the first innings eventually pans out. Also, Nehal Wadhera walks out to bat next.

OUT! CAUGHT! Iyer falls cheaply and LSG have three quick wickets in 10 balls. A good phase in the game for the visitors. Mohsin pulls the length back a bit and angles the off-cutter across the right-hander. Shreyas is nowhere near the pitch of the ball but he tries to hit through the line and go back over the bowler's head. The ball leaves him to take a thickish outside edge and it goes straight to short third. Mohammad Shami is standing on the edge of the ring there and he does not have to move an inch as he gobbles it up around his waist.

A swing and a miss! Mohsin starts with an off-cutter, on a length, running across the right-hander. Iyer goes hard on the drive, but the ball leaves him with the angle to beat him on the outside edge.

Darts in a yorker, at the base of the off stump. Shreyas digs it out behind point. The backward point fielder dives to his left but the ball evades him. Mohammad Shami does well to back his teammate by getting around to his right. Keeps the batters down to a single.

Full and on off, Iyer reaches out and drives it to the right of extra cover for a brace.

Flat and short, on the off stump. Marcus punches it to deep point for a run.

Clever from Stoinis. Full and on middle. Stoinis sinks to a knee and takes a step across the stumps. Plays the paddle fine of the man at deep fine leg for a couple of runs.

Marcus Stoinis walks out to bat now. Two new batters at the crease, perfect time for Lucknow to pull back things a bit, but will they be able to do so?

OUT! CAUGHT! Priyansh Arya goes now, 7 runs short of what would have been a 2nd IPL hundred for the left-hander. A top grab from Mitchell Marsh. Siddharth angles it across the left-hander and this is very full, nearly in the blockhole. Arya brings his bottom hand into play in a bid to go down the ground. He does not get enough elevation on the shot and hits it flat to long off. Marsh gets on his toes and takes the catch just over his head. Hit with a lot of power by Arya, but Mitchell holds onto it and ensures that he stays away from the ropes. The third umpire is summoned for a check and the side-on replay confirms that Marsh's feet were away from the boundary cushions.

Has Mitchell Marsh stepped onto the boundary cushion here? Marsh's face doesn't quite tell the story, but he does seem relieved, which might indicate that it is a fair catch. The third umpire is called in and this one seems close but the zoomer shows that there is a gap between the right shoe and the cushion. This is given OUT on the big screen.

Full and drifting in, on middle and leg. Shreyas eases the drive to long on for a single.

Full and straight. A bit of tail back in, on middle. Iyer jams it out back past the bowler and down to long on for a single. End of a successful over for Prince and LSG.

PBKS skipper, Shreyas Iyer, replaces Cooper Connolly in the middle.

OUT! TAKEN! Prince Yadav breaks through for LSG fittingly. He has been Lucknow's best bowler on show tonight. Prince bends his back and bashes the hard length, over off. Cooper Connolly tries to take it on the but the ball skids through to rush the batter. The ball kicks up a bit to catch the top edge and it is skied to backward point, where Manimaran Siddharth settles under it and does the rest. End of the carnage from Cooper and who would have thought he would finish with a 46-ball 87 given his early struggles. He walks off to a standing ovation.

A low full toss now, on off and pace on as well. Priyansh Arya stands tall and scythes it to sweeper cover for one more.

A mishit now. Slower yorker, around the fifth stump line. Connolly hangs back and stays leg side of the ball, going hard at it and he slices it over backward point for a single.

FOUR! Absolutely crunched! Prince angles it across the left-hander, full in length. Cooper Connolly stays leg side of the ball and frees his hands to smack it past extra cover for a boundary.

A dot. A rarity tonight. Keeps the stumps in play, does Prince, full in length. Cooper Connolly has a hoick across the line. Ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

CARNAGE! Aiden Markram has been taken to the cleaners as he leaked 32 off this over. Rishabh Pant would be hurting even more about why he did not take that review on Mohsin Khan's bowling, which could have ended the Cooper Connolly innings early in the second over.

SIX! Up, up and away! 5 sixes in the over. Aiden Markram goes for 32 runs in the over, and LSG are left scratching their heads. Markram spears it in, full and on middle. Arya gets the front leg out of the way and pumps it back towards the sight screen. 16 sixes in the innings already, with still 7 overs left.

SIX! Just over! A fleeting hope for Nicholas Pooran on the ropes but he watches it sail over the ropes. Full and quick, on middle and leg. Arya swings across the line and he does not quite get hold of it. He manages to get enough bat on it to clear the leaping Nicholas Pooran at deep mid-wicket. Four sixes off the over with a ball to go.

Full and on middle, Cooper swings hard at it. Gets an inside edge that goes behind square leg for a single.

Wide! This is well wide on off. The batter shoulders arms to let that one through.

SIX! Make that a hat-trick of sixes. Cooper Connolly continues to pepper the straight boundary. Are we in for something special? Full and fired in, on off. Cooper collapses his back knee and swings through the line. Lofts it back over the bowler's head for the third six in a row.

SIX MORE! This is straight as an arrow! Sliding on with the arm, on the shorter side, on middle. Cooper Connolly hops back and gives himself room before thumping it over the sight screen with a horizontal bat.

SIX! Aiden Markram is greeted with a biggie. Just stand and deliver stuff from Connolly. Darted in from around the wicket, on a length. Cooper just holds his shape and smokes it with a clean swing of the arms over long off for a six. The 150 comes up for the Kings.

BOO! A dot ball! How did that happen? Full and wide outside off, well inside the tramline. Arya reaches for it but the ball sneaks under the willow. 18 off the over.

Full and wide outside off, Connolly looks to drive but gets more of an outside edge, and well behind square on the off side for one.

FOUR! For a moment, it looked like Connolly missed it. Avesh Khan goes for the straight yorker again but errs on the fuller side. Connolly shuffles across and picks the lap right off the stumps and sends it towards deep fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.

Right on the money this time from Avesh. A yorker on middle, Arya opens the bat face and angles it to deep third for a single.

SIX! That is some shot, class written all over it. Good length, outside off, Arya comes forward and converts it into a full toss, extends the arms, just gliding the ball off the face of the blade, and the ball travels all the way over the backward point fence.

SIX! The Kings are unstoppable right now, but that was there to be hit. A juicy full toss, angled across off, Priyansh Arya gets a good hold of it and he clobbers it straight down the ground for a biggie.

Cooper Connolly and Priyansh Arya are smoking the ball to all the corners of the park. Avesh Khan is back in the attack.

FOUR! Wow, even the good balls are going to the fence now. Shami comes around the wicket and spears it in at the base of the off stump. Connolly hangs back and stays leg side before squeezing it away brilliantly between backward point and short third for a boundary. 19 off Shami's third over.

SIX! FIFTY up in style for Cooper Connolly. Another slower one from Shami and again, Connolly picks it well. This is pitched fuller on middle, Connolly waits well and hits through the line, dispatching it back over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Bowled with an upright seam, right in the blockhole on middle. Arya backs away and drills it to long off for one more.

Back of a length, angled across off, hit away square through cover-point for a single now.

SIX! Connolly is eyeing up his fifty now, and what a shot this is. Marginally short on middle, Cooper Connolly picks the length early and whacks it handsomely over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. The hang time on that one is crazy.

Nice and full to begin with, on leg stump, tucked away wide of mid on for a single.

The fielder might have saved at least a couple of runs here. Pithed up wide outside off, Priyansh Arya goes after it and gets it more off the outside half of the blade. The fielder at backward point springs to his left and makes the stop. Just a single.

Well bowled again by Prince. He nails the toe-crushing yorker and Connolly digs it out through the leg side, in front of square leg and picks up a single.

This was smashed powerfully back to the bowler and Prince Yadav might have just hurt himself trying to catch it. The physio is out in the middle and having a look at the bowler.

Ouch, that must have hurt. A full ball on off, Arya clears the front leg and hammers it straight back with brute force. Prince Yadav, in his follow-through, tries to get both hands on it, but the ball hits the right thumb and deflects behind. The batters get a single. Hopefully, Yadav is fine here.

SIX! Thrashed away! Banged into the deck, short and wide outside off, Priyansh Arya stands tall, goes after the width and slams it over deep backward point for a six.

Top delivery! A yorker, just outside the line of off stump, Priyansh Arya tries to squeeze it away but is well beaten.

A length ball on off, cutting across the left-hander. Arya looks to hit it on the up and through the off side but gets an inside edge across to the leg side.

Prince Yadav (1-0-4-0) is called back into the attack.

Full and on off, drilled down to long off for one more.

Another one that is fired in, ends up being a full toss. Cooper Connolly hammers it to deep cover for a single.

Well bowled! Fired into the blockhole, on leg stump, Arya blocks it off just into the leg side and picks up a single.

FOUR! Cheeky but effective. Good length, on middle and leg, around the top of the stumps. Priyansh Arya moves inside the line of the ball, and just laps it to the right of the keeper and the ball runs away fine into the fence.

An easy two on offer and up comes the FIFTY for Priyansh Arya, off just 19 balls. Shortish length on the leg stump, worked away to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs. A breezy knock from Arya so far.

Short and on off, Cooper Connolly plays the square cut. Fetches a single.

Will Ayush Badoni have another go with the ball? Not for now, as Manimaran Siddharth is ready to start his spell.

Priyansh Arya has played another sensational knock so far as his score reads 49 off 18 balls.

A couple of runs to end the over. Avesh hurls it on a back of a length, pace taken off, on middle. Arya arches back, lets the ball come to him and guides it to the left of backward point for a couple of runs.

FOUR! Up and over! Back to around the wicket, Avesh nearly nails the yorker, just outside the off stump. Arya does not move his feet at all and brings his bottom hand into play. Gets enough leverage to get under the ball and he slams it over the man at extra cover for a four.

From around the wicket, attacking the stumps, on a length. Connolly knocks it to long on for a single.

SIX! Hold the pose, Cooper! Avesh serves it full, just outside off, Connolly just presents a high elbow and goes through the line. He extends his hands and plays the lofted hit with sweet timing over wide long off for a six.

Missed out! Slightly too straight with fine leg up inside the circle. On a short of a length, at the hips. Cooper Connolly swings at it but misses. The ball thuds into the thigh pad before going to short fine leg on the bounce.

Going across, on a length, Arya extends his hands and knocks it wide of mid off. Aiden Markram moves swiftly to his right and tumbles to make the stop. Just a single.

Avesh Khan to have a bowl now.

From over the wicket, full and in line with the leg stump at 93.7 kph. Arya wrists it to deep mid-wicket and keeps the strike with a single. The gamble to bring on Badoni does not quite work out for LSG as he goes for 14 runs.

Pushed through, on a length at the stumps. Connolly plays a punchy drive to wide long off and crosses over.

Shorter and quicker, on off. Arya chops it wide of point and gets to the other end.

Flat and short, on off. This is hit to deep point for one.

SIX! Launched down the ground! Flighted delivery by Badoni at 74 kph. Full and drifting in, on middle and leg. Cooper Connolly clears the front leg and gets his hands out in front before tonking it over long on for a six.

FOUR! Hammered away! This might just be the shot that gets Cooper Connolly going. A real half-tracker by Badoni, outside off. Cooper stands tall on his toes and slaps it to the right of long off for a four.

STRATEGIC BREAK! How often have we seen a bowler go the distance when they bowl a third over on the trot inside the Powerplay? Far too often. Lucknow Super Giants risked Mohsin Khan as he did look like inducing a top edge from Priyansh Arya, but it has cost Lucknow dearly. LSG did start the Powerplay stronger but Arya's hitting has pegged them back. Cooper Connolly has lived dangerously but he will now look to cash in as well. Interesting call right after the break, as Ayush Badoni, the part-time off-spinner has been given the ball by Rishabh Pant. Probably because there are two left-handers out in the middle. Maybe, Aiden Markram would have been a better option, who knows.

SIX! Clean strike! Mohsin Khan sticks to the short ball but fails to get it high enough to trouble the batter. This sits up to be hit, just below the chest and Arya does not miss out. Priyansh bludgeons the pull off the front foot over mid-wicket for half a dozen. Punjab finish the Powerplay strongly with a 20-run over. At the end of 6 overs, PBKS are 63/1.

Another teaser for the LSG fielders. Mohsin delivers it on a back of a length, on middle. Arya just hangs deep and swings through the line of the ball. Gets more height than distance as he goes back over the bowler's head. Avesh Khan runs over his right shoulder from mid on but the ball drops out of his reach. Avesh prevents the boundary by flicking it back towards the converging Aiden Markram. Two runs taken.

SIX! More of a top edge, but Arya will take it. Mohsin Khan bangs it in short, over middle. This comes at chest height and Priyansh Arya tries to take it on. The ball gets big on him but it sails over the long leg fence for a six. The 50 is up for Punjab.

FOUR! Gets it away! Fractionally short and this is the off-pace delivery, on middle. Arya pivots on the back foot and swivels a bit for the pull. This goes more off the inner half of the bat but it races away through backward square leg.

Leg bye! Full and slanting in at the pads. Cooper is beaten for pace on the flick. A leg bye is taken as the ball hits the front pad and deflects behind point.

Short of a length, on middle, Arya nudges it through mid-wicket for a single.

Bowling change? No. LSG stick with Mohsin Khan for a third straight over.

FOUR! Nicely waited and dispatched! Prince takes pace off and goes into the surface, on off. Cooper waits for the ball to arrive and stands tall before pulling it over mid-wicket. Yadav is disappointed with himself as he concedes a boundary on the last ball.

Five dots on the bounce. Pressure building on Cooper Connolly. Fuller in length, going away. Connolly swings hard at it and loses his shape. Miscues it off the inner half to mid on.

Make that four in a row! Prince digs it in short at 138.6 kph, over the left shoulder. Cooper Connolly swivels for the pull but the ball keeps climbing and goes over the bat.

Another play and a miss! Prince pitches it up, wide on off. Cooper Connolly does not move his feet at all and throws his hands at the ball but misses. Three dots in a row.

Across off, on a good length. Cooper looks to force it away through the off side but it goes off the toe end to cover.

Prince starts a bit too wide, on a back of a length. Cooper Connolly flashes but connects with thin air.

SIX! Arya has raced to 21 off 8. Hard length, around middle and leg, Priyansh picks it up and pulls this over the fence towards the deep square leg region for a massively hit six.

Back of a length, into the batter, Arya doesn't quite get a hold of the pull shot and top-edges it well over square leg but short of the fielder at deep square leg. They get a couple of runs as well.

A tad full around middle and off, Cooper Connolly pushes this in the gap on leg for one.

A well-directed short one, into the batter, on leg. Cooper Connolly mishits the pull and that's what has probably saved him here as the ball lands short of mid-wicket.

FOUR! Pant and Mohsin would be gutted as Marsh was at slip in the previous over, but was taken off from there. Good length, around off, Cooper Connolly slashes and slashes hard at it. Gets an outside edge and the ball beats a diving Rishabh Pant to his left for four towards the third man region.

On a length, around off, Cooper Connolly looks to slog this but the ball shapes into him and CC ends up with an inside edge onto his pads.

LEG BYE! Good length, around the pads, Cooper Connolly goes for a flick but misses and gets it clipped off his thigh pad for a leg bye towards square leg.

Good length, on top of off, Priyansh Arya cuts this through point for one.

FOUR! Arya eases that into the fence for four more. Back of a length, around off, shaping away again. Priyansh Arya rises with the bounce, opens his bat face and slices this to the right of Badoni at deep third for a boundary.

Back of a length, around off, Cooper Connolly punches this off his back foot to the right of extra cover and takes one. This would have raced to the fence had it gone past the diving fieler, who does well to field it.

Shami comes over the stumps now, bowls it on a length around off, shaping it away from the batter. Cooper Connolly has a go at it but gets beaten.

FOUR! Thumped nonchalantly for a boundary. Shami comes around the stumps for Cooper and hits the deck hard. Bowls it short and around off. Cooper Connolly stands his ground and whacks this over the fielder at mid off for four runs.

It's all happening! On a length, around off, Cooper hits this uppishly and just past the right of the bowler on his follow-through. Mohsin is late to react, and the ball rolls to mid off. There is a direct hit at the bowling end but Connolly is in by then. Cooper is well and truly riding his luck. A single taken.

Good length, around middle and off, Cooper Connolly pats this to covers.

A chance missed by LSG! On a length, around middle, shaping a long way back into the batter. Cooper Connolly looks to flick this on the up but gets beaten. The ball hits Cooper on his back pad and deflects to the left of Pant. Loud appeal for LBW, but the umpire turns it down. Not a lot of support from the keeper in this appeal. Pant appears to be gesturing that this would've missed the stumps. Well, well, the Ball Tracking comes up as three reds with the ball crashing into the top of the leg stump. A wry smile on the face of Pant as he sees it on the big screen.

Right in the channel, around off, shaping away a shade this time. Cooper Connolly has a slash at it but gets beaten as this skids off the deck.

Back of a length, into the batter, around his leg. Priyansh Arya tucks this through mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

SIX! Arya deposits this into the stands. Short-pitched delivery, around off, Priyansh Arya stays inside his crease and pulls this from the middle of his bat for a huge six over the deep mid-wicket fence.

Mohsin Khan will share the attack. The left-arm seamer returns after missing the last few games due to a niggle, with his previous appearance for LSG coming on 1st April against DC.

FOUR! A boundary to end the first over. Back of a length, around middle and leg, a bit too straight from Shami. Cooper Connolly steps inside a bit and flicks this through the mid-wicket region for a boundary to open his account.

Beaten! Pitched up by Shami, outside off. He gets the ball to move away from the left-hander. Cooper Connolly pushes away from his body for the drive and is beaten on the outside edge.

Hard length, around off, Cooper Connolly shoulders arms at it, yes, you read it right.

LSG strike early, and it is the usual suspect, Mohammad Shami. Cooper Connolly comes out at number 3.

OUT! CAUGHT! Shami delivers in the first over itself as he removes Prabhsimran Singh for a golden duck. On a length, around off, tempting the batter to go for the big booming drive. Prabhsimran Singh couldn't resist the temptation and chased this with a tentative bit of footwork. Ends up with an outside edge that goes straight into those bucket hands of Mitchell Marsh at first slip.

Hard length, on top of off, Priyansh Arya pushes this in front of mid on and takes a single to get off the mark.

WIDE! Second extra already. Good length, shaping away from the southpaw, way too wide outside off. Arya leaves it. Wided.

Back of a length, around off, Priyansh Arya hops up on his toes and punches this to covers.

WIDE! An extra to get us underway. Good length, wide down the leg side, Priyansh Arya misses out as he looks to flick it. Wide signalled by the umpire.

Time to get going. Rishabh Pant leads his men out onto the park. Out walk the exuberant left-right opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Mohammad Shami will steam in first up for LSG. Shami to Arya. Mitchell Marsh is at a slightly wide slip. Here we go!

Rinku Singh does it for KKR - An unbeaten 53 off 34 balls from Rinku has given the Kolkata Knight Riders their first win of the season. More relief than joy in the faces of all those present in the KKR dugout. After reducing KKR to 85/6, the Rajasthan Royals would have backed themselves to close out the game, but a 76-run stand between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy turned it around for the home side. Mind you, Rinku was dropped on 8 as Nandre Burger shelled a dolly, and who knows how differently things might have unfolded from there.

How's the home side feeling? Xavier Bartlett, when asked about the acrobatic effort from Shreyas Iyer in the last game, says it was an unbelievable catch. He adds that Shreyas was already halfway there when he started moving. Mentions that Iyer showed excellent awareness and presence of mind to lob it in his direction. Bartlett says that is exactly the kind of effort Shreyas practices day in and day out. Shares that he has tried to add value with the bat to go with his bowling. Further says that this is the best competition in the world for a reason and that it is a privilege to be part of this franchise. Xavier shares that he feels at home here and enjoys rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world. Mentions that the team is playing its brand of cricket really well and sticking to its strengths.

Words from the LSG camp - Lucknow's head coach, Justin Langer says that once the batting unit gets going, it will be really exciting to see that, and they are not far off. Langer adds that Pooran is continuing to work hard on his game, just like how every great player does, and the experience he brings to the side is unmatched. Langer believes that the brand of cricket Pooran plays is what the team needs going ahead. JL praises Mukul Choudhary for his hunger and says that he is one of the hardest-working players in the side, and it is delightful to work with such a player.

Impact sub options for LSG - Himmat Singh, Abdul Samad, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav and Digvesh Singh.

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI) - Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth (In for Digvesh Singh) and Mohsin Khan.

Impact sub options for PBKS - Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur and Vishnu Vinod.

Punjab Kings (Unchanged Playing XI) - Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal.

The skipper of the Punjab Kings - Shreyas Iyer shares that they do not mind setting a total. Adds that it is a great challenge, and they will have a fair idea of how to approach things going forward. Iyer mentions that the focus is on staying in the present and embracing the challenge, believing that results will follow. He also feels there are still areas where the team can improve and is keen on putting together a more comprehensive performance.

The captain of the Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant says that with Punjab Kings being so strong while chasing this season, they would prefer to have them bat first tonight. Pant adds that transparency is key in the team, as with that, one can perform without any doubts. Pant reckons that playing for 220 is better than doing that for 200. Rishabh informs that Manimaran Siddharth comes in and Digvesh Singh makes way.

TOSS - Time for the flip of the coin. Rishabh Pant is all smiles as usual, having a light moment with Shreyas Iyer out in the middle. 'Heads' is the call from Rishabh, and he gets it right. Lucknow Super Giants opt to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Former Indian opener Abhinav Mukund is pitchside. Shares that it has been incredibly hot in New Chandigarh over the last couple of days. In terms of dimensions, it is 61 metres and 70 metres square, with 73 metres straight down the ground. Informs that a fresh surface is being used tonight. England's World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan joins Abhinav. Morgan mentions that 13 games have been played at this venue, with the lowest score in the 80s and the highest in the 220s. Adds that there have been 7 scores of 200 or more. Eoin says that it is a beautiful surface with a nice covering of grass, although there are a few cracks, and if you hit those, it could make things a bit unpredictable. He reckons that given the humidity, there might be a bit of swing on offer. Abhinav adds that, according to the ground staff, dew is unlikely to arrive tonight, so the toss should not matter as much. Eoin expects a high-scoring game.

Action from the east - Yesterday, both games went down to the final over, and the afternoon game in Kolkata is shaping up to be another tight one. 12 overs into the chase, the Kolkata Knight Riders are 76/5, chasing 156 set by the Rajasthan Royals. Earlier, despite an 81-run opening stand, the Royals could only manage 155 after opting to bat first. With the ball, their pace attack did the early damage, and since then, the spinners have made life difficult for KKR. You can switch tabs and tune into that game while we wait for the toss here.

What will tonight bring? The last game in New Chandigarh between PBKS and SRH saw a match aggregate of 424 runs, the highest in IPL at this venue, although that was an afternoon game. We could be in for another high-scoring contest. Toss and team news coming up shortly.

Lucknow's bowling strength - The Lucknow Super Giants present a very different challenge. Results have not gone their way in the last couple of games, but their bowling has been impressive. They are the most economical attack in the tournament, boasting an economy of 8.59 per over this season, and their pace group has been a big reason for that control.

Punjab's batting blitz - The Punjab Kings have been in outstanding form this season. They are the only unbeaten side in the competition, with four wins and one washout. They have made chasing look almost routine, winning all four matches while batting second. They do it at a serious pace as well, scoring at 10.87 runs per over, which tells you just how aggressive this batting unit has been.

Level on history, contrast in form - We are all set in New Chandigarh, and this one has a really interesting feel to it. Punjab Kings take on Lucknow Super Giants in a contest where history says they are evenly matched with three wins each, but current momentum is clearly with Punjab. Strap in, this should be fun.

... MATCH DAY ...

Action-packed Sunday awaits - The IPL 2026 is fast approaching its midpoint, and the tussle to finish in the top four is only going to get more and more intense. The 29th match of the season is upon us as action heads back to New Chandigarh for a highly anticipated clash between hosts Punjab Kings and the visitors, Lucknow Super Giants. Cast your eyes on the points table, and the story writes itself. A zero in the 'Lost' column. Five games, four wins. Nine points claimed, no territory surrendered. These Kings have been on a march, planting their flag and banners wherever the season has taken them, on the road and at home alike. This is their third home fixture in Mullanpur, with one more up next at this fortress before the court moves north to the Himalayan citadel of Dharamsala. Lucknow's journey this season has been anything but smooth. They stumbled out of the blocks with a loss, steadied themselves with back-to-back wins, and just when it seemed like they had found their footing, two consecutive defeats came along and knocked them right back down. They find themselves tangled up in a crowded lower half of the table, fighting for breathing room alongside several others with identical ambitions and identical anxieties. Sarpanch leading from the front - Two finals in two years. A title with KKR in 2024, a runners-up finish with Punjab Kings in 2025. Shreyas Iyer has made deep tournament runs feel routine, and 2026 is shaping up to be no different. Batting at a crucial number four position, he has been the heartbeat of Punjab's unbeaten run. Three consecutive half-centuries, 200-plus runs already, Iyer is in the form of his life. But more importantly, it’s the way he has led the side. They say a good captain sails the ship, but a great one makes sure it never loses course. Unchallenged in the run chases - Five games in, Punjab Kings have made chasing look like a Sunday stroll. They have batted second in every single game this season and won each one of them, the last two with 6 and 7 wickets to spare. When your top four bat like that, you do not chase totals, you dismantle them. A big reason for that is what happens in the first six overs. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have formed a dangerous all-Indian opening partnership, uncapped and unbothered. Arya has had his moments but has blown hot and cold, while Prabhsimran has been a revelation. There is a maturity to his game that belies his experience, and his 80 off just 39 balls against the Mumbai Indians was the clearest sign yet of a batter coming into his own. He has crossed the 200-run mark already, just like Iyer, and his average of 70.33 stands as the best among the leading run scorers in the tournament. Hunting like a pack - Punjab’s pace attack has been ticking along nicely this season, with the odd concern here and there. Arshdeep Singh going for runs was one of them, but he put that to bed in the last game. Three wickets for 22 against the Mumbai Indians was Arshdeep back to his very best, and when he runs riot in the Powerplay, everything else falls into place. Arshdeep is also the joint third-highest wicket-taker against LSG. Jansen and Bartlett have been impressive in their own right, and with their leader firing, this pace unit is starting to look very, very dangerous. The spin question, however, remains open. Yuzvendra Chahal, the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, has three wickets to show from four games and an economy nudging close to 10. The leg-spinner has spun teams into submission on bigger stages than this, and somewhere inside that celebrated wrist, the magic is waiting to resurface. Misfiring at the top - Lucknow have the names, they have the truckloads of experience, and they have the firepower at the top of the order. What they do not have is consistency. An average Powerplay run rate of just 8.4 tells you that Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram have not quite clicked together yet as openers. It has been an either-or story so far, one fires while the other falters, and rarely have both shown up at the same time. But the bigger worry sits one rung below. Rishabh Pant has had a half-century to his name this season, but the scores either side of it have been a concern. Pant was struck on his left elbow and was retired hurt in the previous game against RCB. Whether he is fit enough to participate in this game is under a cloud right now. And then there is Nicholas Pooran. Only 42 runs in five matches, averaging 8.4, the Trinidadian has been a shadow of the destroyer he was last season. The middle order has done its bit, Mukul Choudhary has been an encouraging find and Ayush Badoni has contributed when it mattered, but they have too often walked in to repair rather than dominate. When their top four finally click together, this will be a different side altogether. Frugal with the ball - An injury-prone unit with too many question marks on paper, LSG’s bowling looked like the weakest link in their squad. Five games in, that narrative has been turned completely on its head. The bowling has been doing a far better job than anyone could have reasonably expected. Mohammad Shami has one of the best economy rates in the season, reading 6.84. It did take a hit in the previous game, though, but overall, the veteran has been immaculate. But the real story has been Prince Yadav. 9 wickets already, troubling batters with his pace and bounce, and swinging the new ball to good effect as well. For Lucknow, he has been an absolute revelation. Team form (Last 5 completed T20 matches, recent first) PBKS - WWWWL | LSG - LLWWL. Number’s game - Punjab Kings have won both their home games this season, steadily improving their record at Mullanpur. But zoom out a little, and the overall numbers at this ground are not quite as flattering, five wins against seven losses. There is still work to be done to truly make this fortress feel like one. For Lucknow, this is uncharted territory. They have never played at the Maharaja Yadvindra Singh International Cricket Stadium before, though they have faced Punjab at Dharamsala, the Kings' other home ground. But overall, in six meetings between these two sides, it reads three wins apiece, as even as it gets. The detail that stands out, though, is this. Every one of Lucknow's three wins against Punjab has come while batting first. Every single one. And Punjab have successfully chased in all of their completed games this season, which makes this battle all the more interesting to watch.