“The higher you go, the deeper you fall.” That proverb has felt tailor-made for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. Their season has not followed the classic pattern of a team swinging wildly between brilliance and collapse, nor has it been a smooth, thrilling climb. Instead, Punjab enjoyed everything clicking during the opening stretch—positioning themselves as genuine title contenders—only to watch their momentum unravel alarmingly as the campaign progressed. Still, the story isn’t finished. With help from other results, Punjab can still reach the playoffs, but they must halt a dramatic slide over the next six matches to keep their qualification hopes alive.
However, the path is complicated. A single victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday is not enough on its own. Punjab also need outcomes to go their way on Sunday, including a result involving Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. The focus has often turned to Punjab’s bowling and fielding, and the latest chapter of those concerns arrived in Dharamsala, where their bowlers conceded 222 on a surface that was slightly slower than expected.
For all the promise that surrounds their bowling unit, Arshdeep Singh and Lockie Ferguson have struggled to deliver a consistent impact. Yuzvendra Chahal has shown flashes of quality but has been inconsistent, even as several chances have been missed off his bowling. Punjab also appeared to lose patience with Marco Jansen after deciding to drop him for the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Amid the turbulence, Azmatullah Omarzai has stood out as a positive influence. Shashank Singh also provided a lift recently, producing a decisive fifty in the previous game. Yet questions are growing around Shreyas Iyer’s form, with his output limited to 118 runs across the campaign so far, including a scrappy half-century in Punjab’s losses. That concern becomes sharper whenever the Kings fail to hold onto their pace-setting top order—Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have often struggled after getting starts.
Still, when that batting trio functions together, Punjab’s bowlers rarely face a straightforward chase. In a must-win scenario, the Kings will want their attack to be at its sharpest. Lucknow, meanwhile, has looked capable with the bat despite patchy recent performances. Nicholas Pooran has not found his best rhythm again, but he appears to be moving in the right direction compared to how the tournament began. Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis have been in excellent form, though Lucknow has frequently lost their way during the middle overs—most recently suffering defeat against Rajasthan Royals. With the ball, their options may not carry the same depth of experience, though Prince Yadav has been making a strong impression.
Even so, the microscope remains on Rishabh Pant, both as a batter and as captain. Lucknow have now endured three consecutive seasons without being close to realistic playoff contention since the current cycle began. A win in their final game would not only add momentum, but it would also bring extra positivity from other franchises—Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are also expected to play a role in the wider picture.
LSG vs PBKS: Match details
When: LSG vs PBKS, Saturday, May 23 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
What to expect: Temperatures are forecast to climb well into the 40s, making it a scorching day. Ekana has been one of the more bowler-friendly grounds this season, yet the last two games played there—featuring Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings—have swung heavily toward the batters, with Lucknow winning both of those contests. Early on, pacers should still get some help, but note that chasing sides have won 9 of the 13 matches at this venue since IPL 2025 (excluding the Super Over game involving Kolkata Knight Riders).
Head-to-head
Punjab Kings hold a narrow edge in the matchup, with a 4-3 record against Lucknow. At Ekana specifically, Punjab are 2-1. Since 2025, they have won all three meetings, including the reverse fixture in Mullanpur where they posted a total of 254.
Team Watch
Lucknow Super Giants
Injuries & Unavailability: Aiden Markram missed the most recent match after returning home for personal reasons, and it is unlikely he will feature in Lucknow’s final game of the season. Mohammed Shami also sat out the previous match, though there has been no injury update tied to his absence.
Tactics & Matchups: Shreyas Iyer has historically struggled against Mohsin Khan. In T20 cricket, Iyer has mustered only 12 runs from 27 balls against the left-arm quick, and he has been dismissed once in that period—during the earlier reverse fixture. Expect Mohsin to be deployed as a specific matchup when Iyer walks out. Mayank Yadav, whose pace has been building rapidly, may also be used early against Prabhsimran Singh, after having twice accounted for him in the format.
Probable XII: Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi
Punjab Kings
Injuries & Unavailability: There are no injury concerns reported from the Punjab Kings camp.
Tactics & Matchups: Both Pooran (SR 163.63) and Pant (SR 150) have strong records versus Yuzvendra Chahal. Since 2025, Chahal has averaged 74.4 against left-handed batters and has gone for an economy rate of 11.1 in IPL matches. With a left-arm spinner also in the mix—Harpreet Brar, who can take the new ball—Punjab may consider using just one of Chahal or Brar in the early phase, potentially creating an opening for Vijaykumar Vyshak to return.
Probable XII: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal/Vijaykumar Vyshak
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What they said: “I think teams in situations like this can be very dangerous to be honest. I mean Lucknow going into tomorrow, apart from probably personal pride and pride for the franchise’s performance, they’ve really got nothing else to lose. So teams can be dangerous in that way. But we understand that, we know that. And that’s the way that I want my boys to play as well. I want us to be fearless and I want us to be daring” — Ricky Ponting, PBKS Head Coach.
