IPL 2026: Shreyas Iyer’s maiden century guides PBKS past LSG as Punjab stay in playoff race with 7-wicket win

Punjab Kings (PBKS) ended their six-match losing streak in emphatic fashion, chasing down 197 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 68 of IPL 2026 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Skipper Shreyas Iyer produced a sensational unbeaten century to lead his side to a 7-wicket win with 12 balls remaining, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Opting to field first, PBKS struck early as Arshin Kulkarni (0) and Nicholas Pooran (2) fell inside the powerplay, putting LSG under immediate pressure.

Advertisement

Ayush Badoni counterattacked with intent, smashing a rapid 43 off 18 balls, including a 24-run over that shifted momentum briefly back in LSG’s favour. Josh Inglis anchored the innings with a composed yet aggressive 72 off 44 balls, striking nine fours and two sixes as he rebuilt alongside Rishabh Pant (26).

However, Punjab’s middle-overs squeeze, led by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/25), halted LSG’s progress. Both Badoni and Pant fell during the spin phase, slowing the scoring rate at a crucial stage.

Abdul Samad provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls, pushing LSG to a competitive 196/6, though they arguably finished slightly short of an ideal par score on a true batting surface.

For PBKS, Chahal and Marco Jansen (2/33) were the standout bowlers, while the rest of the attack struggled to contain the flow of runs.

Shreyas Iyer’s masterclass seals the deal

Punjab’s chase began disastrously as Mohammed Shami removed Priyansh Arya for a golden duck before Cooper Connolly (18) also departed cheaply, leaving PBKS at 22/2.

Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer then rebuilt the innings with authority, stitching together a match-defining partnership. Prabhsimran’s aggressive 69 off 39 balls ensured PBKS stayed ahead of the rate during the middle phase.

LSG briefly clawed back momentum when Arjun Tendulkar struck with a clever slower-ball yorker to dismiss Prabhsimran, but the breakthrough only brought more dominance from Iyer.

The PBKS captain took full control of the chase, dismantling the bowling attack with calculated aggression. A standout moment came in the 16th over when he smashed Mohammed Shami for three towering sixes in a 20-run assault that pushed him into the 90s.

Fittingly, Iyer brought up his maiden IPL century in style, finishing unbeaten on 101 off 51 balls with a towering six that also sealed victory for Punjab Kings.

PBKS secured a crucial 7-wicket win and climbed into playoff contention with 15 points, though qualification still depends on remaining results involving Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders.

For Lucknow Super Giants, the defeat confirmed an underwhelming campaign as they finished at the bottom end of the table, managing just four wins from 14 matches.

Captains’ takes at the toss

“We would have bowled first as well. This is one of the better batting wickets and it could be a high-scoring match,” Pant said at the toss, while also apologising to the fans for LSG’s difficult campaign.

PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer also confirmed two changes, bringing back Marco Jansen and Vijaykumar Vyshak. “We have never been in this situation before, and the boys are excited to give their best,” Iyer said.

LSG vs PBKS IPL 2026: Playing XIs

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Josh Inglis, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohammad Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan

Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal