Punjab Kings will look to extend their strong run of form and consolidate their position atop the points table when they take on Lucknow Super Giants in Mullanpur on Sunday, entering the IPL 2026 contest with momentum firmly on their side.
Punjab Kings have emerged as one of the most consistent outfits this season, remaining unbeaten with four wins from five matches, while one fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders was washed out. Under Shreyas Iyer, the team has built its success around a powerful and deep batting unit, reflected in a healthy net run rate of +1.067.
Their dominance while chasing has been particularly striking. Since the 2025 season, PBKS have won nine of their last 11 matches while pursuing targets, a trend that continued in their recent victory over Mumbai Indians. The batting unit has repeatedly delivered under pressure, making them a formidable side in run chases.
In contrast, Lucknow Super Giants find themselves under pressure. Currently placed seventh on the table, the side has suffered back-to-back defeats and is now dealing with concerns over captain Rishabh Pant’s fitness. Pant picked up an elbow injury in the previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and although he briefly returned to bat, he appeared uncomfortable and managed just 1 off 6 balls. His availability for the upcoming match remains uncertain.
Lucknow’s batting struggles have been a major concern this season. The team is yet to cross the 200-run mark, highlighting a lack of collective impact from the top order. In their previous outing, they managed only 146, with Mukul Choudhary and Ayush Badoni providing some resistance, but not enough to mount a competitive total.
Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have consistently posted or chased down big scores. Openers Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer have been central to their success, amassing 211 and 203 runs respectively, both striking at impressive rates. Contributions from Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly have further strengthened their batting depth.
On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh returned to form with a disciplined 3/22 against Mumbai, adding balance to a side already thriving on batting strength.
For Lucknow, Prince Yadav has been the standout performer with nine wickets, supported by Avesh Khan and Mohammed Shami, though consistency has been lacking. Shami, in particular, endured a tough outing recently, conceding heavily against opposition batters.
The batting unit, featuring Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, will need to step up significantly. While players like Mukul Choudhary, Markram, Marsh and Badoni have contributed runs, the lack of consistency and intent in key phases has hurt the team.
With the two teams having shared six previous encounters evenly, the upcoming clash holds significance for both sides.
Squads:
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Harnoor Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vishnu Vinod (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Azmatullah Omarzai, Cooper Connolly, Marco Jansen, Musheer Khan, Mitchell Owen, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Praveen Dubey, Ben Dwarshuis, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, Vishal Nishad, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur.
Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (captain), Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, M Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan.