Punjab Kings will need to beat Lucknow Super Giants and hope Rajasthan Royals stumbles against Mumbai Indians to make the Playoffs. | Photo Credit: RV MOORTHY

The last time Punjab Kings faced the now-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants, it wouldn’t have expected to be where it is on the points table today.

It was April 19, and PBKS was the team to beat, going unbeaten in its first six games with five dominant wins. Cut to the present, and the Shreyas Iyer-led side has suffered six consecutive losses. It now faces a must-win situation against LSG at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Punjab’s season has been a tale of two drastically contrasting departments. Its batting has been nothing short of terrifying. With over 2,400 team runs and a tournament-leading 156 sixes, PBKS possesses the sheer firepower to overwhelm any opposition.

At the top, the explosive Priyansh Arya strikes at an absurd strike rate of 212.86, while Prabhsimran Singh ensures the attack remains relentless through the PowerPlay. Meanwhile, the breakout brilliance of Cooper Connolly (473 runs) anchors the middle order, with captain Shreyas Iyer providing crucial stability.

Punjab’s glaring Achilles’ heel remains a regular bowling attack that has been violently exposed. Its pace battery is bleeding. Premier pacer Arshdeep Singh, despite taking 14 wickets, is conceding at an economy of 9.78.

However, PBKS’ head coach Ricky Ponting feels that the pacer is getting back to his best, perhaps at the right time.

“I think in the last three games, to be particular, Arshdeep has been getting back to his best. He didn’t pick up any wickets in the first three games, but since then, he has been pretty consistent,” he said.

“But with the number of runs being scored this season, The IPL has become a much higher-scoring tournament now, and the bowlers’ figures are going to reflect that. So, I’ve been extremely happy with the way Arshdeep has bowled so far,” he added.

Even the experienced Lockie Ferguson and Xavier Bartlett, who have rotated as its overseas pace options, have struggled for consistency in the death overs. The side has conceded nine 200-plus totals this season, setting a record for the most such instances by any team in a single edition of a men’s T20 tournament.

Without a disciplined defensive spearhead to stem the flow of runs, Punjab is failing to contain teams in high-pressure finishes.

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Lucknow, on the other hand, is playing purely for pride. Having already been eliminated, LSG has emerged as a master of volatility.

While its last five games show a wild alternating pattern of high-scoring thrillers and heavy defeats, it has managed back-to-back wins at home. Free from playoff pressure, Lucknow’s dangerous opening pair of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis — coming off a blistering 109-run stand — will look to launch a fearless PowerPlay assault to shatter Punjab’s fragile defensive lines.

For PBKS, surviving this initial onslaught is only the first step in a much larger, agonising battle for self-preservation. A simple win on Saturday won’t guarantee qualification for the 2025 finalist.

Its catastrophic losing streak has stripped it of control over its destiny. Even if PBKS reaches 15 points, it desperately needs Mumbai Indians to defeat the Rajasthan Royals. If that happens and Kolkata Knight Riders also finishes on 15 points, PBKS’s superior Net Run Rate will be its ultimate saving grace to sneak into the Playoffs.

Published on May 22, 2026