HIGHLIGHTS Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2026 Match 29 - Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for the chase. Lucknow Super Giants have a mountain to climb, and they have sprung a surprise right at the start. Neither Aiden Markram nor Rishabh Pant, but Ayush Badoni has walked out to open alongside Mitchell Marsh. Arshdeep Singh will kick things off with the new ball for the home side. Marsh to face the first ball. A slip in place. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

A bridge too far? Lucknow Super Giants are the only team this season to not have crossed the 200-run mark, and now they not only have to cross that but go well beyond it. However, there's a first time for everything, so you never know. Stay tuned as the chase is up next.

Let's now hear from one of Punjab's stars - Cooper Connolly says it looks like quite a nice wicket to bat on, although he adds that you never really judge a surface until both sides have had a go. Admits that there was a bit of early panic, but he backed himself to get going, and once a couple of shots came from the middle, he was able to find his flow. Connolly shares that Priyansh Arya does not talk much, but he certainly hits the ball a long way. He adds that Arya is a world-class opener and someone he would switch the television on to watch. Mentions that there will be a little bit in the surface for the bowlers and backs his attack to get the job done.

Lucknow under the pump - The Super Giants are currently locked in a middle-of-the-table battle with a few more teams, and the pressure is on them to get a win. However, with how the first innings has panned out, they now face a really uphill task. LSG started perfectly with the ball as Shami got a wicket in the first and it could have been two in two overs but Rishabh Pant didn't review a LBW decision off Mohsin's bowling, which turned out to be a massive turning point. One by one, the bowlers were taken down by the Punjab batters, but amidst all the chaos, Prince Yadav delivered a fine spell, giving away just 25 runs off his 4 overs, and he picked up 2 wickets as well.

Red-hot Punjab run riot - The Kings are the reigning runners-up and they are the only unbeaten side so far this season. The first 20 overs have given us a glimpse of why they are at the top of the standings. After losing a wicket in the very first over, Priyansh Arya kept going after the bowlers and managed to end the Powerplay on a positive note. Cooper Connolly, having escaped an LBW appeal, started sluggish but hit his stride after the Powerplay. The two Next-Gen stars added 182 runs for the 2nd wicket, but unfortunately, both fell short of the three-figure mark. The Kings did lose their way for a couple of overs or so after that, but then Marcus Stoinis played a quickfire cameo of 29 off 16 balls and made sure that the Kings crossed the 250-run mark.

Six-hitting frenzy in Mullanpur - Wow, what a treat for all the Punjab fans inside the stadium, the home side hammered as many as 21 sixes and has notched up a massive score of 254 runs on the board.

Prince Yadav to Marcus Stoinis, OUT! STOINIS IS RUN OUT! PBKS finish with 254/7. Yorker, nailed around leg. Marcus Stoinis flicks this through mid-wicket. Marcus completes the first run and turns for the second as well. Nicholas Pooran picks it up and throws it at the batting end. He hits with Stoinis well short of his ground.

Prince Yadav to Marco Jansen, Jansen would feel that he has missed out on a scoring opportunity here. Full toss, around the pads, Marco Jansen swings but gets only an inside edge onto his pads. The batters sneak in a single as the ball dribbles beside the strip on the off side. Prince charges towards the ball and picks it up. He turns around and has a shy at the bowling end but misses. Rishabh Pant did not like Yadav having a shy, given the risk of overthrows, and gave him a mouthful.

Marco Jansen walks in next with 2 legal balls left in the innings.

Prince Yadav to Shashank Singh, OUT! CAUGHT! Another short one, slower and on off. Shashank Singh rises with the bounce and looks to flat bat this over the fielder at mid on. He mistimes the hit and Aiden Markram times his jump well and takes a good catch to his left.

Prince Yadav to Marcus Stoinis, Full and wide outside off, Marcus Stoinis drives this to deep point for one.

Prince Yadav to Shashank Singh, Short of a length, slower one, around middle and leg. Shashank Singh hooks this to long leg and takes a single. Singh was looking at the second but he slipped on the turn.

Prince Yadav to Marcus Stoinis, Low full toss, on middle and leg, Marcus tucks this to deep square leg for a single. 250 comes up for PBKS. Harsha Bhogle informs that this is the first time a side has reached 250 against LSG.

Prince Yadav (3-0-20-1) to close out the innings. He has been LSG's best bowler tonight. Can he end well?

Mohammad Shami to Shashank Singh, FOUR! Full toss, on middle and leg, Shashank Singh shuffles across again and flicks this to the left of the fielder at short fine leg for a boundary.

Mohammad Shami to Shashank Singh, SIX! Shashank goes big and out of the park. On a length, around off, Shashank Singh slogs this out of the park from the middle of his bat for a biggie over the deep mid-wicket fence.

Mohammad Shami to Shashank Singh, WIDE! Back of a length, way too wide outside the tramline of off. Despite Singh moving across the stumps, the umpire calls it a wide.

Mohammad Shami to Marcus Stoinis, Short and wide of off, Marcus Stoinis hits this to sweeper cover for a single.

Mohammad Shami to Marcus Stoinis, SIX! This has been dispatched as well. Short and wide around off, Marcus Stoinis settles behind it and hits this for a flat six over long on.

Mohammad Shami to Marcus Stoinis, Slower short one, flirting with the tramline. Marcus Stoinis lets it go. He has a look at the umpire but does not get the signal of wide he was looking for. Marcus does not review this time.

Mohammad Shami to Marcus Stoinis, Shami bowls it on a back of a length, around off. Marcus shuffles a long way across and leaves it. The umpire doesn't call it as a wide and Stoinis sends this upstairs. Since Marcus shuffled across the wide guideline moved with him, and the replay shows that some part of the ball was inside the revised guideline, and the on-field decision stays.

Mohammad Shami to Marcus Stoinis, WIDE! Another one, short and way too wide outside off. Wided.

Mohammad Shami to Marcus Stoinis, WIDE! Short and wide outside off, Stoinis swings at it but misses out as this is way too wide.

Who bowls the 19th over? Rishabh Pant turns to Mohammad Shami. 3-0-36-1 so far for Shami.

Avesh Khan to Shashank Singh, Wide yorker, around off, Shashank Singh ends up chopping this to the left of the keeper. They think about sneaking in a single, but Rishabh Pant cuts it off quickly.

Avesh Khan to Marcus Stoinis, LEG BYE! On a length, around the pads, Marcus looks to go for a flick but misses and gets thud on the pads. Leg bye taken as the ball rolls to square leg.

Avesh Khan to Marcus Stoinis, FOUR! Marcus is having a party as well. Attempted yorker goes wrong and ends up in the slot for Marcus Stoinis. The Hulk gets right underneath it and smashes this up and over the bowler for a boundary in front of the sight screen.

Avesh Khan to Marcus Stoinis, Short and wide of off, Marcus Stoinis leaves it expecting a wide but the umpire keeps his arms down.

Avesh Khan to Marcus Stoinis, SIX! As flat as it could have been. Back of a length, around off, Marcus Stoinis puts a lot of power behind it and flat bats this over the fence towards the wide long on region for a biggie.

Avesh Khan to Marcus Stoinis, FOUR! Edged away! Good length, on middle and off, ​​Marcus Stoinis flashes and gets an outside edge. It flies past the keeper to his right and races to the third man fence for four.

Mohsin Khan is done with his quota of 4 overs, and in comes Avesh Khan to replace him.

Manimaran Siddharth to Shashank Singh, SIX! Shashank Singh starts with a biggie as well. Tossed up, around off, Shashank Singh gets right underneath it and smashes this over the fence around the sight screen for six runs.

Shashank Singh is in next.

Manimaran Siddharth to Nehal Wadhera, OUT! CAUGHT! LSG are doing well to drag things back by picking up wickets at regular intervals. A bit short, around middle and off, Nehal Wadhera goes for the pull but fails to get enough power behind it and ends up finding Nicholas Pooran at deep mid-wicket. Pooran runs in off the ropes and completes the catch.

Manimaran Siddharth to Nehal Wadhera, SIX! Low full toss, around leg again, Nehal Wadhera once again shuffles across the stumps and laps this behind the stumps for a biggie towards the fine leg region.

Manimaran Siddharth to Nehal Wadhera, FOUR! Full toss, around middle and leg, Nehal Wadhera goes a long way across and looks to scoop this over the short fine leg fielder but gets it off the gloves, and it races past the left of short fine leg for four. Manimaran Siddharth wanted a review for LBW, but Pant says that Nehal had hit it and doesn't opt for it.

Manimaran Siddharth to Marcus Stoinis, Full toss, wide outside off, Marcus pumps this down to long off for a single.

Manimaran Siddharth to Nehal Wadhera, Darted onto the pads from around the stumps. Nehal Wadhera gets an inside edge onto the shoe and the batters run one. Rishabh Pant picks it up from around short leg and throws it towards the bowler's end to induce a run out but hits Nehal instead on the back of the leg.

Lucknow Super Giants are using their Impact Sub now. Mohsin Khan has been substituted by Himmat Singh.

Mohsin Khan is substituted by Himmat Singh

Mohsin Khan to Nehal Wadhera, Rolls his fingers over the ball and this is fuller, outside off. Nehal presses forward and dabs it to the left of point for one. 3 runs and a wicket from the over. 17/3 in the last 3 overs.

Mohsin Khan to Nehal Wadhera, Around the off pole, on a nagging length. Wadhera stabs it down the strip.

Mohsin Khan to Marcus Stoinis, On a good length, on the off stump. This is pushed away to point for a single.

Mohsin Khan to Nehal Wadhera, Serves it full, outside off, Wadhera drives it away to deep point for a single. 13 balls since the last boundary, looked impossible when Arya and Connolly were going great guns.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Three wickets in three overs for LSG and the fightback is on. However, with 193 already on the board, Punjab will still be targeting anything in excess of 240 runs. The momentum is with Lucknow right now and they will look to keep picking up wickets. The Kings have a bit more firepower to come but with plenty of deliveries still remaining, they will try not to build ahead of steam and lose more wickets. Let's see how the first innings eventually pans out. Also, Nehal Wadhera walks out to bat next.

Mohsin Khan to Shreyas Iyer, OUT! CAUGHT! Iyer falls cheaply and LSG have three quick wickets in 10 balls. A good phase in the game for the visitors. Mohsin pulls the length back a bit and angles the off-cutter across the right-hander. Shreyas is nowhere near the pitch of the ball but he tries to hit through the line and go back over the bowler's head. The ball leaves him to take a thickish outside edge and it goes straight to short third. Mohammad Shami is standing on the edge of the ring there and he does not have to move an inch as he gobbles it up around his waist.

Mohsin Khan to Shreyas Iyer, A swing and a miss! Mohsin starts with an off-cutter, on a length, running across the right-hander. Iyer goes hard on the drive, but the ball leaves him with the angle to beat him on the outside edge.

Manimaran Siddharth to Shreyas Iyer, Darts in a yorker, at the base of the off stump. Shreyas digs it out behind point. The backward point fielder dives to his left but the ball evades him. Mohammad Shami does well to back his teammate by getting around to his right. Keeps the batters down to a single.

Manimaran Siddharth to Shreyas Iyer, Full and on off, Iyer reaches out and drives it to the right of extra cover for a brace.

Manimaran Siddharth to Marcus Stoinis, Flat and short, on the off stump. Marcus punches it to deep point for a run.

Manimaran Siddharth to Marcus Stoinis, Clever from Stoinis. Full and on middle. Stoinis sinks to a knee and takes a step across the stumps. Plays the paddle fine of the man at deep fine leg for a couple of runs.

Marcus Stoinis walks out to bat now. Two new batters at the crease, perfect time for Lucknow to pull back things a bit, but will they be able to do so?

Manimaran Siddharth to Priyansh Arya, OUT! CAUGHT! Priyansh Arya goes now, 7 runs short of what would have been a 2nd IPL hundred for the left-hander. A top grab from Mitchell Marsh. Siddharth angles it across the left-hander and this is very full, nearly in the blockhole. Arya brings his bottom hand into play in a bid to go down the ground. He does not get enough elevation on the shot and hits it flat to long off. Marsh gets on his toes and takes the catch just over his head. Hit with a lot of power by Arya, but Mitchell holds onto it and ensures that he stays away from the ropes. The third umpire is summoned for a check and the side-on replay confirms that Marsh's feet were away from the boundary cushions.

Has Mitchell Marsh stepped onto the boundary cushion here? Marsh's face doesn't quite tell the story, but he does seem relieved, which might indicate that it is a fair catch. The third umpire is called in and this one seems close but the zoomer shows that there is a gap between the right shoe and the cushion. This is given OUT on the big screen.

Manimaran Siddharth to Shreyas Iyer, Full and drifting in, on middle and leg. Shreyas eases the drive to long on for a single.

Prince Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Full and straight. A bit of tail back in, on middle. Iyer jams it out back past the bowler and down to long on for a single. End of a successful over for Prince and LSG.

PBKS skipper, Shreyas Iyer, replaces Cooper Connolly in the middle.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, OUT! TAKEN! Prince Yadav breaks through for LSG fittingly. He has been Lucknow's best bowler on show tonight. Prince bends his back and bashes the hard length, over off. Cooper Connolly tries to take it on the but the ball skids through to rush the batter. The ball kicks up a bit to catch the top edge and it is skied to backward point, where Manimaran Siddharth settles under it and does the rest. End of the carnage from Cooper and who would have thought he would finish with a 46-ball 87 given his early struggles. He walks off to a standing ovation.

Prince Yadav to Priyansh Arya, A low full toss now, on off and pace on as well. Priyansh Arya stands tall and scythes it to sweeper cover for one more.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, A mishit now. Slower yorker, around the fifth stump line. Connolly hangs back and stays leg side of the ball, going hard at it and he slices it over backward point for a single.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Absolutely crunched! Prince angles it across the left-hander, full in length. Cooper Connolly stays leg side of the ball and frees his hands to smack it past extra cover for a boundary.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, A dot. A rarity tonight. Keeps the stumps in play, does Prince, full in length. Cooper Connolly has a hoick across the line. Ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

CARNAGE! Aiden Markram has been taken to the cleaners as he leaked 32 off this over. Rishabh Pant would be hurting even more about why he did not take that review on Mohsin Khan's bowling, which could have ended the Cooper Connolly innings early in the second over.

Aiden Markram to Priyansh Arya, SIX! Up, up and away! 5 sixes in the over. Aiden Markram goes for 32 runs in the over, and LSG are left scratching their heads. Markram spears it in, full and on middle. Arya gets the front leg out of the way and pumps it back towards the sight screen. 16 sixes in the innings already, with still 7 overs left.

Aiden Markram to Priyansh Arya, SIX! Just over! A fleeting hope for Nicholas Pooran on the ropes but he watches it sail over the ropes. Full and quick, on middle and leg. Arya swings across the line and he does not quite get hold of it. He manages to get enough bat on it to clear the leaping Nicholas Pooran at deep mid-wicket. Four sixes off the over with a ball to go.

Aiden Markram to Cooper Connolly, Full and on middle, Cooper swings hard at it. Gets an inside edge that goes behind square leg for a single.

Aiden Markram to Cooper Connolly, Wide! This is well wide on off. The batter shoulders arms to let that one through.

Aiden Markram to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Make that a hat-trick of sixes. Cooper Connolly continues to pepper the straight boundary. Are we in for something special? Full and fired in, on off. Cooper collapses his back knee and swings through the line. Lofts it back over the bowler's head for the third six in a row.

Aiden Markram to Cooper Connolly, SIX MORE! This is straight as an arrow! Sliding on with the arm, on the shorter side, on middle. Cooper Connolly hops back and gives himself room before thumping it over the sight screen with a horizontal bat.

Aiden Markram to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Aiden Markram is greeted with a biggie. Just stand and deliver stuff from Connolly. Darted in from around the wicket, on a length. Cooper just holds his shape and smokes it with a clean swing of the arms over long off for a six. The 150 comes up for the Kings.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, BOO! A dot ball! How did that happen? Full and wide outside off, well inside the tramline. Arya reaches for it but the ball sneaks under the willow. 18 off the over.

Avesh Khan to Cooper Connolly, Full and wide outside off, Connolly looks to drive but gets more of an outside edge, and well behind square on the off side for one.

Avesh Khan to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! For a moment, it looked like Connolly missed it. Avesh Khan goes for the straight yorker again but errs on the fuller side. Connolly shuffles across and picks the lap right off the stumps and sends it towards deep fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, Right on the money this time from Avesh. A yorker on middle, Arya opens the bat face and angles it to deep third for a single.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, SIX! That is some shot, class written all over it. Good length, outside off, Arya comes forward and converts it into a full toss, extends the arms, just gliding the ball off the face of the blade, and the ball travels all the way over the backward point fence.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, SIX! The Kings are unstoppable right now, but that was there to be hit. A juicy full toss, angled across off, Priyansh Arya gets a good hold of it and he clobbers it straight down the ground for a biggie.

Cooper Connolly and Priyansh Arya are smoking the ball to all the corners of the park. Avesh Khan is back in the attack.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Wow, even the good balls are going to the fence now. Shami comes around the wicket and spears it in at the base of the off stump. Connolly hangs back and stays leg side before squeezing it away brilliantly between backward point and short third for a boundary. 19 off Shami's third over.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, SIX! FIFTY up in style for Cooper Connolly. Another slower one from Shami and again, Connolly picks it well. This is pitched fuller on middle, Connolly waits well and hits through the line, dispatching it back over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, Bowled with an upright seam, right in the blockhole on middle. Arya backs away and drills it to long off for one more.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, Back of a length, angled across off, hit away square through cover-point for a single now.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Connolly is eyeing up his fifty now, and what a shot this is. Marginally short on middle, Cooper Connolly picks the length early and whacks it handsomely over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. The hang time on that one is crazy.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, Nice and full to begin with, on leg stump, tucked away wide of mid on for a single.

Prince Yadav to Priyansh Arya, The fielder might have saved at least a couple of runs here. Pithed up wide outside off, Priyansh Arya goes after it and gets it more off the outside half of the blade. The fielder at backward point springs to his left and makes the stop. Just a single.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, Well bowled again by Prince. He nails the toe-crushing yorker and Connolly digs it out through the leg side, in front of square leg and picks up a single.

This was smashed powerfully back to the bowler and Prince Yadav might have just hurt himself trying to catch it. The physio is out in the middle and having a look at the bowler.

Prince Yadav to Priyansh Arya, Ouch, that must have hurt. A full ball on off, Arya clears the front leg and hammers it straight back with brute force. Prince Yadav, in his follow-through, tries to get both hands on it, but the ball hits the right thumb and deflects behind. The batters get a single. Hopefully, Yadav is fine here.

Prince Yadav to Priyansh Arya, SIX! Thrashed away! Banged into the deck, short and wide outside off, Priyansh Arya stands tall, goes after the width and slams it over deep backward point for a six.

Prince Yadav to Priyansh Arya, Top delivery! A yorker, just outside the line of off stump, Priyansh Arya tries to squeeze it away but is well beaten.

Prince Yadav to Priyansh Arya, A length ball on off, cutting across the left-hander. Arya looks to hit it on the up and through the off side but gets an inside edge across to the leg side.

Prince Yadav (1-0-4-0) is called back into the attack.

Manimaran Siddharth to Priyansh Arya, Full and on off, drilled down to long off for one more.

Manimaran Siddharth to Cooper Connolly, Another one that is fired in, ends up being a full toss. Cooper Connolly hammers it to deep cover for a single.

Manimaran Siddharth to Priyansh Arya, Well bowled! Fired into the blockhole, on leg stump, Arya blocks it off just into the leg side and picks up a single.

Manimaran Siddharth to Priyansh Arya, FOUR! Cheeky but effective. Good length, on middle and leg, around the top of the stumps. Priyansh Arya moves inside the line of the ball, and just laps it to the right of the keeper and the ball runs away fine into the fence.

Manimaran Siddharth to Priyansh Arya, An easy two on offer and up comes the FIFTY for Priyansh Arya, off just 19 balls. Shortish length on the leg stump, worked away to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs. A breezy knock from Arya so far.

Manimaran Siddharth to Cooper Connolly, Short and on off, Cooper Connolly plays the square cut. Fetches a single.

Will Ayush Badoni have another go with the ball? Not for now, as Manimaran Siddharth is ready to start his spell.

Priyansh Arya has played another sensational knock so far as his score reads 49 off 18 balls.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, A couple of runs to end the over. Avesh hurls it on a back of a length, pace taken off, on middle. Arya arches back, lets the ball come to him and guides it to the left of backward point for a couple of runs.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, FOUR! Up and over! Back to around the wicket, Avesh nearly nails the yorker, just outside the off stump. Arya does not move his feet at all and brings his bottom hand into play. Gets enough leverage to get under the ball and he slams it over the man at extra cover for a four.

Avesh Khan to Cooper Connolly, From around the wicket, attacking the stumps, on a length. Connolly knocks it to long on for a single.

Avesh Khan to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Hold the pose, Cooper! Avesh serves it full, just outside off, Connolly just presents a high elbow and goes through the line. He extends his hands and plays the lofted hit with sweet timing over wide long off for a six.

Avesh Khan to Cooper Connolly, Missed out! Slightly too straight with fine leg up inside the circle. On a short of a length, at the hips. Cooper Connolly swings at it but misses. The ball thuds into the thigh pad before going to short fine leg on the bounce.

Avesh Khan to Priyansh Arya, Going across, on a length, Arya extends his hands and knocks it wide of mid off. Aiden Markram moves swiftly to his right and tumbles to make the stop. Just a single.

Avesh Khan to have a bowl now.

Ayush Badoni to Priyansh Arya, From over the wicket, full and in line with the leg stump at 93.7 kph. Arya wrists it to deep mid-wicket and keeps the strike with a single. The gamble to bring on Badoni does not quite work out for LSG as he goes for 14 runs.

Ayush Badoni to Cooper Connolly, Pushed through, on a length at the stumps. Connolly plays a punchy drive to wide long off and crosses over.

Ayush Badoni to Priyansh Arya, Shorter and quicker, on off. Arya chops it wide of point and gets to the other end.

Ayush Badoni to Cooper Connolly, Flat and short, on off. This is hit to deep point for one.

Ayush Badoni to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Launched down the ground! Flighted delivery by Badoni at 74 kph. Full and drifting in, on middle and leg. Cooper Connolly clears the front leg and gets his hands out in front before tonking it over long on for a six.

Ayush Badoni to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Hammered away! This might just be the shot that gets Cooper Connolly going. A real half-tracker by Badoni, outside off. Cooper stands tall on his toes and slaps it to the right of long off for a four.

STRATEGIC BREAK! How often have we seen a bowler go the distance when they bowl a third over on the trot inside the Powerplay? Far too often. Lucknow Super Giants risked Mohsin Khan as he did look like inducing a top edge from Priyansh Arya, but it has cost Lucknow dearly. LSG did start the Powerplay stronger but Arya's hitting has pegged them back. Cooper Connolly has lived dangerously but he will now look to cash in as well. Interesting call right after the break, as Ayush Badoni, the part-time off-spinner has been given the ball by Rishabh Pant. Probably because there are two left-handers out in the middle. Maybe, Aiden Markram would have been a better option, who knows.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, SIX! Clean strike! Mohsin Khan sticks to the short ball but fails to get it high enough to trouble the batter. This sits up to be hit, just below the chest and Arya does not miss out. Priyansh bludgeons the pull off the front foot over mid-wicket for half a dozen. Punjab finish the Powerplay strongly with a 20-run over. At the end of 6 overs, PBKS are 63/1.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, Another teaser for the LSG fielders. Mohsin delivers it on a back of a length, on middle. Arya just hangs deep and swings through the line of the ball. Gets more height than distance as he goes back over the bowler's head. Avesh Khan runs over his right shoulder from mid on but the ball drops out of his reach. Avesh prevents the boundary by flicking it back towards the converging Aiden Markram. Two runs taken.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, SIX! More of a top edge, but Arya will take it. Mohsin Khan bangs it in short, over middle. This comes at chest height and Priyansh Arya tries to take it on. The ball gets big on him but it sails over the long leg fence for a six. The 50 is up for Punjab.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, FOUR! Gets it away! Fractionally short and this is the off-pace delivery, on middle. Arya pivots on the back foot and swivels a bit for the pull. This goes more off the inner half of the bat but it races away through backward square leg.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, Leg bye! Full and slanting in at the pads. Cooper is beaten for pace on the flick. A leg bye is taken as the ball hits the front pad and deflects behind point.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, Short of a length, on middle, Arya nudges it through mid-wicket for a single.

Bowling change? No. LSG stick with Mohsin Khan for a third straight over.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Nicely waited and dispatched! Prince takes pace off and goes into the surface, on off. Cooper waits for the ball to arrive and stands tall before pulling it over mid-wicket. Yadav is disappointed with himself as he concedes a boundary on the last ball.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, Five dots on the bounce. Pressure building on Cooper Connolly. Fuller in length, going away. Connolly swings hard at it and loses his shape. Miscues it off the inner half to mid on.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, Make that four in a row! Prince digs it in short at 138.6 kph, over the left shoulder. Cooper Connolly swivels for the pull but the ball keeps climbing and goes over the bat.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, Another play and a miss! Prince pitches it up, wide on off. Cooper Connolly does not move his feet at all and throws his hands at the ball but misses. Three dots in a row.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, Across off, on a good length. Cooper looks to force it away through the off side but it goes off the toe end to cover.

Prince Yadav to Cooper Connolly, Prince starts a bit too wide, on a back of a length. Cooper Connolly flashes but connects with thin air.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, SIX! Arya has raced to 21 off 8. Hard length, around middle and leg, Priyansh picks it up and pulls this over the fence towards the deep square leg region for a massively hit six.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, Back of a length, into the batter, Arya doesn't quite get a hold of the pull shot and top-edges it well over square leg but short of the fielder at deep square leg. They get a couple of runs as well.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, A tad full around middle and off, Cooper Connolly pushes this in the gap on leg for one.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, A well-directed short one, into the batter, on leg. Cooper Connolly mishits the pull and that's what has probably saved him here as the ball lands short of mid-wicket.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Pant and Mohsin would be gutted as Marsh was at slip in the previous over, but was taken off from there. Good length, around off, Cooper Connolly slashes and slashes hard at it. Gets an outside edge and the ball beats a diving Rishabh Pant to his left for four towards the third man region.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, On a length, around off, Cooper Connolly looks to slog this but the ball shapes into him and CC ends up with an inside edge onto his pads.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, LEG BYE! Good length, around the pads, Cooper Connolly goes for a flick but misses and gets it clipped off his thigh pad for a leg bye towards square leg.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, Good length, on top of off, Priyansh Arya cuts this through point for one.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, FOUR! Arya eases that into the fence for four more. Back of a length, around off, shaping away again. Priyansh Arya rises with the bounce, opens his bat face and slices this to the right of Badoni at deep third for a boundary.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, Back of a length, around off, Cooper Connolly punches this off his back foot to the right of extra cover and takes one. This would have raced to the fence had it gone past the diving fieler, who does well to field it.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, Shami comes over the stumps now, bowls it on a length around off, shaping it away from the batter. Cooper Connolly has a go at it but gets beaten.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Thumped nonchalantly for a boundary. Shami comes around the stumps for Cooper and hits the deck hard. Bowls it short and around off. Cooper Connolly stands his ground and whacks this over the fielder at mid off for four runs.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, It's all happening! On a length, around off, Cooper hits this uppishly and just past the right of the bowler on his follow-through. Mohsin is late to react, and the ball rolls to mid off. There is a direct hit at the bowling end but Connolly is in by then. Cooper is well and truly riding his luck. A single taken.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, Good length, around middle and off, Cooper Connolly pats this to covers.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, A chance missed by LSG! On a length, around middle, shaping a long way back into the batter. Cooper Connolly looks to flick this on the up but gets beaten. The ball hits Cooper on his back pad and deflects to the left of Pant. Loud appeal for LBW, but the umpire turns it down. Not a lot of support from the keeper in this appeal. Pant appears to be gesturing that this would've missed the stumps. Well, well, the Ball Tracking comes up as three reds with the ball crashing into the top of the leg stump. A wry smile on the face of Pant as he sees it on the big screen.

Mohsin Khan to Cooper Connolly, Right in the channel, around off, shaping away a shade this time. Cooper Connolly has a slash at it but gets beaten as this skids off the deck.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, Back of a length, into the batter, around his leg. Priyansh Arya tucks this through mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

Mohsin Khan to Priyansh Arya, SIX! Arya deposits this into the stands. Short-pitched delivery, around off, Priyansh Arya stays inside his crease and pulls this from the middle of his bat for a huge six over the deep mid-wicket fence.

Mohsin Khan will share the attack. The left-arm seamer returns after missing the last few games due to a niggle, with his previous appearance for LSG coming on 1st April against DC.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! A boundary to end the first over. Back of a length, around middle and leg, a bit too straight from Shami. Cooper Connolly steps inside a bit and flicks this through the mid-wicket region for a boundary to open his account.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, Beaten! Pitched up by Shami, outside off. He gets the ball to move away from the left-hander. Cooper Connolly pushes away from his body for the drive and is beaten on the outside edge.

Mohammad Shami to Cooper Connolly, Hard length, around off, Cooper Connolly shoulders arms at it, yes, you read it right.

LSG strike early, and it is the usual suspect, Mohammad Shami. Cooper Connolly comes out at number 3.

Mohammad Shami to Prabhsimran Singh, OUT! CAUGHT! Shami delivers in the first over itself as he removes Prabhsimran Singh for a golden duck. On a length, around off, tempting the batter to go for the big booming drive. Prabhsimran Singh couldn't resist the temptation and chased this with a tentative bit of footwork. Ends up with an outside edge that goes straight into those bucket hands of Mitchell Marsh at first slip.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, Hard length, on top of off, Priyansh Arya pushes this in front of mid on and takes a single to get off the mark.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, WIDE! Second extra already. Good length, shaping away from the southpaw, way too wide outside off. Arya leaves it. Wided.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, Back of a length, around off, Priyansh Arya hops up on his toes and punches this to covers.

Mohammad Shami to Priyansh Arya, WIDE! An extra to get us underway. Good length, wide down the leg side, Priyansh Arya misses out as he looks to flick it. Wide signalled by the umpire.

Time to get going. Rishabh Pant leads his men out onto the park. Out walk the exuberant left-right opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Mohammad Shami will steam in first up for LSG. Shami to Arya. Mitchell Marsh is at a slightly wide slip. Here we go!

Rinku Singh does it for KKR - An unbeaten 53 off 34 balls from Rinku has given the Kolkata Knight Riders their first win of the season. More relief than joy in the faces of all those present in the KKR dugout. After reducing KKR to 85/6, the Rajasthan Royals would have backed themselves to close out the game, but a 76-run stand between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy turned it around for the home side. Mind you, Rinku was dropped on 8 as Nandre Burger shelled a dolly, and who knows how differently things might have unfolded from there.

How's the home side feeling? Xavier Bartlett, when asked about the acrobatic effort from Shreyas Iyer in the last game, says it was an unbelievable catch. He adds that Shreyas was already halfway there when he started moving. Mentions that Iyer showed excellent awareness and presence of mind to lob it in his direction. Bartlett says that is exactly the kind of effort Shreyas practices day in and day out. Shares that he has tried to add value with the bat to go with his bowling. Further says that this is the best competition in the world for a reason and that it is a privilege to be part of this franchise. Xavier shares that he feels at home here and enjoys rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world. Mentions that the team is playing its brand of cricket really well and sticking to its strengths.

Words from the LSG camp - Lucknow's head coach, Justin Langer says that once the batting unit gets going, it will be really exciting to see that, and they are not far off. Langer adds that Pooran is continuing to work hard on his game, just like how every great player does, and the experience he brings to the side is unmatched. Langer believes that the brand of cricket Pooran plays is what the team needs going ahead. JL praises Mukul Choudhary for his hunger and says that he is one of the hardest-working players in the side, and it is delightful to work with such a player.

Impact sub options for LSG - Himmat Singh, Abdul Samad, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav and Digvesh Singh.

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI) - Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth (In for Digvesh Singh) and Mohsin Khan.

Impact sub options for PBKS - Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur and Vishnu Vinod.

Punjab Kings (Unchanged Playing XI) - Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal.

The skipper of the Punjab Kings - Shreyas Iyer shares that they do not mind setting a total. Adds that it is a great challenge, and they will have a fair idea of how to approach things going forward. Iyer mentions that the focus is on staying in the present and embracing the challenge, believing that results will follow. He also feels there are still areas where the team can improve and is keen on putting together a more comprehensive performance.

The captain of the Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant says that with Punjab Kings being so strong while chasing this season, they would prefer to have them bat first tonight. Pant adds that transparency is key in the team, as with that, one can perform without any doubts. Pant reckons that playing for 220 is better than doing that for 200. Rishabh informs that Manimaran Siddharth comes in and Digvesh Singh makes way.

TOSS - Time for the flip of the coin. Rishabh Pant is all smiles as usual, having a light moment with Shreyas Iyer out in the middle. 'Heads' is the call from Rishabh, and he gets it right. Lucknow Super Giants opt to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Former Indian opener Abhinav Mukund is pitchside. Shares that it has been incredibly hot in New Chandigarh over the last couple of days. In terms of dimensions, it is 61 metres and 70 metres square, with 73 metres straight down the ground. Informs that a fresh surface is being used tonight. England's World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan joins Abhinav. Morgan mentions that 13 games have been played at this venue, with the lowest score in the 80s and the highest in the 220s. Adds that there have been 7 scores of 200 or more. Eoin says that it is a beautiful surface with a nice covering of grass, although there are a few cracks, and if you hit those, it could make things a bit unpredictable. He reckons that given the humidity, there might be a bit of swing on offer. Abhinav adds that, according to the ground staff, dew is unlikely to arrive tonight, so the toss should not matter as much. Eoin expects a high-scoring game.

Action from the east - Yesterday, both games went down to the final over, and the afternoon game in Kolkata is shaping up to be another tight one. 12 overs into the chase, the Kolkata Knight Riders are 76/5, chasing 156 set by the Rajasthan Royals. Earlier, despite an 81-run opening stand, the Royals could only manage 155 after opting to bat first. With the ball, their pace attack did the early damage, and since then, the spinners have made life difficult for KKR. You can switch tabs and tune into that game while we wait for the toss here.

What will tonight bring? The last game in New Chandigarh between PBKS and SRH saw a match aggregate of 424 runs, the highest in IPL at this venue, although that was an afternoon game. We could be in for another high-scoring contest. Toss and team news coming up shortly.

Lucknow's bowling strength - The Lucknow Super Giants present a very different challenge. Results have not gone their way in the last couple of games, but their bowling has been impressive. They are the most economical attack in the tournament, boasting an economy of 8.59 per over this season, and their pace group has been a big reason for that control.

Punjab's batting blitz - The Punjab Kings have been in outstanding form this season. They are the only unbeaten side in the competition, with four wins and one washout. They have made chasing look almost routine, winning all four matches while batting second. They do it at a serious pace as well, scoring at 10.87 runs per over, which tells you just how aggressive this batting unit has been.

Level on history, contrast in form - We are all set in New Chandigarh, and this one has a really interesting feel to it. Punjab Kings take on Lucknow Super Giants in a contest where history says they are evenly matched with three wins each, but current momentum is clearly with Punjab. Strap in, this should be fun.

... MATCH DAY ...

Action-packed Sunday awaits - The IPL 2026 is fast approaching its midpoint, and the tussle to finish in the top four is only going to get more and more intense. The 29th match of the season is upon us as action heads back to New Chandigarh for a highly anticipated clash between hosts Punjab Kings and the visitors, Lucknow Super Giants. Cast your eyes on the points table, and the story writes itself. A zero in the 'Lost' column. Five games, four wins. Nine points claimed, no territory surrendered. These Kings have been on a march, planting their flag and banners wherever the season has taken them, on the road and at home alike. This is their third home fixture in Mullanpur, with one more up next at this fortress before the court moves north to the Himalayan citadel of Dharamsala. Lucknow's journey this season has been anything but smooth. They stumbled out of the blocks with a loss, steadied themselves with back-to-back wins, and just when it seemed like they had found their footing, two consecutive defeats came along and knocked them right back down. They find themselves tangled up in a crowded lower half of the table, fighting for breathing room alongside several others with identical ambitions and identical anxieties. Sarpanch leading from the front - Two finals in two years. A title with KKR in 2024, a runners-up finish with Punjab Kings in 2025. Shreyas Iyer has made deep tournament runs feel routine, and 2026 is shaping up to be no different. Batting at a crucial number four position, he has been the heartbeat of Punjab's unbeaten run. Three consecutive half-centuries, 200-plus runs already, Iyer is in the form of his life. But more importantly, it’s the way he has led the side. They say a good captain sails the ship, but a great one makes sure it never loses course. Unchallenged in the run chases - Five games in, Punjab Kings have made chasing look like a Sunday stroll. They have batted second in every single game this season and won each one of them, the last two with 6 and 7 wickets to spare. When your top four bat like that, you do not chase totals, you dismantle them. A big reason for that is what happens in the first six overs. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have formed a dangerous all-Indian opening partnership, uncapped and unbothered. Arya has had his moments but has blown hot and cold, while Prabhsimran has been a revelation. There is a maturity to his game that belies his experience, and his 80 off just 39 balls against the Mumbai Indians was the clearest sign yet of a batter coming into his own. He has crossed the 200-run mark already, just like Iyer, and his average of 70.33 stands as the best among the leading run scorers in the tournament. Hunting like a pack - Punjab’s pace attack has been ticking along nicely this season, with the odd concern here and there. Arshdeep Singh going for runs was one of them, but he put that to bed in the last game. Three wickets for 22 against the Mumbai Indians was Arshdeep back to his very best, and when he runs riot in the Powerplay, everything else falls into place. Arshdeep is also the joint third-highest wicket-taker against LSG. Jansen and Bartlett have been impressive in their own right, and with their leader firing, this pace unit is starting to look very, very dangerous. The spin question, however, remains open. Yuzvendra Chahal, the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, has three wickets to show from four games and an economy nudging close to 10. The leg-spinner has spun teams into submission on bigger stages than this, and somewhere inside that celebrated wrist, the magic is waiting to resurface. Misfiring at the top - Lucknow have the names, they have the truckloads of experience, and they have the firepower at the top of the order. What they do not have is consistency. An average Powerplay run rate of just 8.4 tells you that Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram have not quite clicked together yet as openers. It has been an either-or story so far, one fires while the other falters, and rarely have both shown up at the same time. But the bigger worry sits one rung below. Rishabh Pant has had a half-century to his name this season, but the scores either side of it have been a concern. Pant was struck on his left elbow and was retired hurt in the previous game against RCB. Whether he is fit enough to participate in this game is under a cloud right now. And then there is Nicholas Pooran. Only 42 runs in five matches, averaging 8.4, the Trinidadian has been a shadow of the destroyer he was last season. The middle order has done its bit, Mukul Choudhary has been an encouraging find and Ayush Badoni has contributed when it mattered, but they have too often walked in to repair rather than dominate. When their top four finally click together, this will be a different side altogether. Frugal with the ball - An injury-prone unit with too many question marks on paper, LSG’s bowling looked like the weakest link in their squad. Five games in, that narrative has been turned completely on its head. The bowling has been doing a far better job than anyone could have reasonably expected. Mohammad Shami has one of the best economy rates in the season, reading 6.84. It did take a hit in the previous game, though, but overall, the veteran has been immaculate. But the real story has been Prince Yadav. 9 wickets already, troubling batters with his pace and bounce, and swinging the new ball to good effect as well. For Lucknow, he has been an absolute revelation. Team form (Last 5 completed T20 matches, recent first) PBKS - WWWWL | LSG - LLWWL. Number’s game - Punjab Kings have won both their home games this season, steadily improving their record at Mullanpur. But zoom out a little, and the overall numbers at this ground are not quite as flattering, five wins against seven losses. There is still work to be done to truly make this fortress feel like one. For Lucknow, this is uncharted territory. They have never played at the Maharaja Yadvindra Singh International Cricket Stadium before, though they have faced Punjab at Dharamsala, the Kings' other home ground. But overall, in six meetings between these two sides, it reads three wins apiece, as even as it gets. The detail that stands out, though, is this. Every one of Lucknow's three wins against Punjab has come while batting first. Every single one. And Punjab have successfully chased in all of their completed games this season, which makes this battle all the more interesting to watch.