Priyansh smashed four boundaries and nine sixes in his innings of 93 off 37 balls. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Punjab Kings remained unbeaten and retained its top spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) standings with a commanding 54-run win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday. 

The host’s bowlers rose in unison to defend a mammoth 254, this season’s highest total, which was set up by Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly’s blistering 182-run partnership off 80 balls for the second wicket.

The Super Giants were cruising at 61 for no loss in the sixth over, with Ayush Badoni’s promotion as opener reaping dividends, before Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed him off the last ball of the PowerPlay.

Rishabh Pant’s consecutive sixes off Marco Jansen in the following over, including a trademark one-handed swing that cleared long-on, kept Super Giants’ hopes afloat.

However, with Pant and Nicholas Pooran falling in the span of two overs, and 113 runs to get from the last five overs, the Super Giants were fighting a battle they couldn’t win.

Earlier, batting first for the first time this IPL, the Kings rode on Priyansh and Connolly to post 254 for seven, this season’s highest total.

The left-handed duo’s assault on a hapless attack was of such magnitude that the final five overs, which yielded 61 runs, seemed sedate in comparison.

The Kings were roaring at 179 for one after 13 overs, following a 32-run over bowled by Aiden Markram, which contained five sixes.

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Prince Yadav, the only LSG bowler who escaped the host’s wrath, put the skids on the scoring rate by dismissing Connolly with a short ball, before M. Siddharth prised out Priyansh in the following over. 

After Super Giants elected to bowl, Mohammed Shami nicked off the in-form Prabhsimran Singh with an outswinger in the first over, while Prince kept Connolly quiet.

Once the field opened, Connolly, who was lucky not to have a leg-before appeal reviewed when he was on 4, made Pant & Co pay and raise a 35-ball fifty.

Priyansh, though, operating on a wholly different wavelength, brought up his half-century off just 19 balls to set the perfect launchpad and the win.  

Published on Apr 19, 2026