Prabhsimran Singh's Explosive 91 Leads Punjab Kings to Victory Over Lucknow Super Giants
Punjab Kings Triumph with Record-Breaking Performance
Prabhsimran Singh showcased his exceptional talent by scoring a remarkable 91 runs off just 48 balls, guiding Punjab Kings to a 37-run victory against Lucknow Super Giants at the HPCA Stadium. This match marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time in 14 years that Punjab surpassed the 200-run mark in the IPL.
The last instance was in 2011 when Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI, achieved a score of 232/2 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Prabhsimran capitalized on a second chance, smashing seven sixes and six fours, leading his team to a total of 236/5, the second-highest IPL score at this venue. With this win, Punjab climbed to second place in the standings with 15 points, while LSG faced their third consecutive defeat, remaining in seventh position.
In his first match in two years, left-arm pacer Akash Singh aimed to curb the Punjab Kings' aggressive batting. However, Mayank Yadav's costly two-over spell undermined Akash's efforts, allowing the home team to establish a solid foundation.
Yadav's two overs cost 36 runs, while Akash gave away 20 runs in three overs during the powerplay. Despite this, Akash managed to take two wickets, dismissing Priyansh Arya (1) and Josh Inglis, who was promoted to bat at number three and scored a quick 30 runs off 14 balls, including four sixes. Akash concluded his spell with figures of 2/30.
Yadav's expensive bowling prompted LSG captain Rishabh Pant to bring in Avesh Khan and Digvesh Rathi. Nevertheless, the Kings' batsmen, particularly Prabhsimran, were relentless, hitting 16 sixes, with 13 coming off the pacers.
The team reached the 100-run mark in just 10 overs, with Prabhsimran displaying his skills. He capitalized on a dropped catch by Nicolas Pooran in the sixth over. Alongside captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 45 runs off 25 balls with four boundaries and two sixes, they propelled the score to 128/2 in 12 overs.
The duo formed a partnership of 78 runs before Iyer misjudged a delivery from Rathi and was caught at backward point. Prabhsimran continued to impress with his signature shots, maintaining an impressive run rate of 11.75 and hitting the longest six of the match off Khan.
Although Prabhsimran was on track for his second IPL century, an ambitious switch hit off Rathi led to his dismissal. In the closing stages, Shashank Singh contributed 33 runs off 15 balls.
In pursuit of a challenging target, LSG required a strong start but found themselves at 36/3 during the powerplay, with Arshdeep Singh dismissing the top three batsmen: Mitchell Marsh (0), Aiden Markram (13), and Pooran (6).
This situation brought captain Pant to the crease, but his struggles continued. While attempting a six off Azmatullah Omarzai, Pant lost his grip, resulting in a catch for Shashank at deep point. Ayush Badoni (74 runs off 40 balls, with five sixes and five fours) and Abdul Samad (45 runs) fought back with an 81-run partnership but ultimately fell short of securing a win for LSG.