Will Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants Clash in a Decisive Mid-Table Showdown?

Dharamshala, May 3 (NationPress) The stunning backdrop of Dharamshala is set to welcome the IPL 2025 action as the Punjab Kings take on the Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial mid-table battle that could significantly impact the playoff race on Sunday evening.

Currently, PBKS sits fourth on the points table with six wins and one no result from 10 matches, thanks to their recent victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Meanwhile, LSG returns from a week-long hiatus to find themselves in sixth place with five wins from 11 games.

Under the adept leadership of Shreyas Iyer, PBKS has shown remarkable improvement in their performance. Iyer’s strategic insights and adjustments against short balls have propelled his batting form, making him a significant asset for the team.

Additionally, the impressive performances from Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya at the top of the order have bolstered PBKS's batting lineup. In terms of bowling, the trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, and Marco Jansen have provided a sharp edge, enhancing PBKS's competitive presence.

Conversely, the pressure mounts on LSG as they strive to secure victories in their remaining matches to keep their playoff aspirations alive. Their captain Rishabh Pant is currently facing challenges with the bat, shifting the burden onto the formidable top order comprising Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran to deliver substantial scores.

On the bowling front, Mayank Yadav’s recent return against the Mumbai Indians was encouraging, though the rest of the bowling attack fell short of expectations, leading to a disappointing 54-run defeat. Although LSG holds a 3-2 edge in their head-to-head matchups against PBKS, they must remain cautious of Iyer’s squad as the competition heats up.

When: Sunday, May 4 at 7:30pm IST

Where: HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala

Where to watch: Live broadcast on Star Sports Network and live streaming available on JioHotstar

Squads

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (captain and wicketkeeper), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Aryan Juyal, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Shahbaz Ahmad, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Ayush Badoni, Akash Deep, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav.

Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harnoor Pannu, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Vishnu Vinod, Josh Inglis, Suryansh Shedge, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marcus Stoinis, Priyansh Arya, Praveen Dubey, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett.