Rishabh Pant had asked for a high-risk, high-reward approach at the toss — but Punjab Kings turned that ambition into Lucknow Super Giants’ undoing with a blistering display at Mullanpur on Sunday
. Riding on a stunning assault from Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly, Punjab piled up 254 before sealing a dominant 54-run win in IPL 2026. The massive total — the highest of the season — left Lucknow chasing shadows right through their innings. Despite a decent start, they could only manage 200/5, slipping to a third successive defeat.
Carnage after a cautious start
Punjab’s innings didn’t explode immediately. Prabhsimran Singh fell in the first over, and Connolly struggled to get going, crawling through the powerplay. Priyansh, however, ensured the run rate didn’t dip, counterattacking early to keep pressure on the bowlers.
The game turned sharply in the seventh over when Pant handed the ball to part-timer Ayush Badoni. Connolly broke the shackles with a four and a six, and that moment opened the floodgates.
What followed was pure carnage. Priyansh brought up a rapid fifty and went on a boundary-hitting spree, while Connolly found his rhythm and matched him stroke for stroke. The pair added a stunning 182 runs in just 80 balls, dismantling the Lucknow attack.
Priyansh’s 93 off 37 and Connolly’s 87 off 46 powered Punjab past 180 in just 14 overs. Though the scoring dipped slightly at the death, the damage was already done as Punjab finished with a towering 254.
Pant’s moves backfire
Lucknow’s bowling plans came under scrutiny. Pant held back powerplay specialist Manimaran Siddharth and instead turned to part-time options at crucial moments. Badoni’s over shifted momentum, while Aiden Markram was taken apart for 32 runs in one over during the onslaught.
Only Prince Yadav managed to stem the flow with disciplined variations, but the rest of the attack struggled to contain the relentless hitting.
Chase never truly on track
In pursuit of 255, Lucknow shuffled their batting order, promoting Badoni to open alongside Mitchell Marsh. The move worked briefly as they raced to 61 in the powerplay. But the climb proved too steep. Badoni and Marsh fell after getting starts, and although Pant struck a brisk 43, he couldn’t carry on. Aiden Markram added a quick cameo, but the required rate kept soaring.
Punjab’s bowlers, led by Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yuzvendra Chahal, controlled the middle overs effectively, ensuring there was no late resurgence.
Even a rare off-day in the field — with multiple dropped catches — couldn’t dent Punjab’s dominance. The win keeps them unbeaten this season, while Lucknow are left grappling with mounting concerns after another heavy loss.
Comments are closed.