The IPL 2026 the league stage is coming to a dramatic end Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) close the horn with Kings of Punjab (PBKS) There was a high-pressure clash at the Ekana Stadium. Although Lucknow are already out of play-off contention after a disappointing campaign that saw them win just four out of 13 matches, they have the power to derail Punjab’s play-off hopes in front of their home crowd.
Punjab Kings, on the other hand, find themselves in a precarious position after a disastrous second half of the tournament. Having won six of the first seven games without a result, PBKS was aiming to take the top two places at one stage. However, six straight defeats have dropped them to 5th place with 13 points from 13 games, making it a virtual knockout encounter. Shreyas Iyer’s men. Another loss would officially put them out of play-off contention after what once looked like a ghost campaign.
LSG will look to end a frustrating season on a positive note after a crushing defeat against their rival. Rajasthan Royals (RR) Despite posting 220-plus in previous outings. Mitchell Marsh and Josh English A large common Lucknow was powered, however of Vaibhav Suryavanshi breathtaking attack left the bowling attack desperate. With the playoff pressure gone, the hosts could now play fearless cricket and become dangerous spoilers.
LSG vs PBKS, IPL 2026: Match details
- Date and Time: May 23, 19:00 IST / 2 PM GMT
- Location: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
LSG vs PBKS Head-to-Head Record in IPL
Matches played: 7 | PBKS won: 4| LSG won: 3
Ekana Stadium Pitch Report
The Ekana Stadium has once again behaved like a traditional Lucknow surface this season, favoring bowlers who maintain discipline and vary their pace intelligently. The black clay wicket generally plays on the slower side, forcing the batsmen to bide their time at the crease before attempting the big shots. It becomes increasingly difficult to create a shot with quality spin during the middle overs, making partnership and rotation of the shot extremely important.
While the average first innings score this season has been around 170, recent matches suggest that totals between 150 and 165 can be competitive on this surface. Fast bowlers are expected to move early with the new ball, especially under lights. Given that dew may arrive in the evening, skippers may prefer to chase despite the slowing of the surface.
Groups
Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh pants (c & wk), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, Manimaran Siddgh, Anthew Breetzke, Manimaran Siddgh, Andath Siddhart Raghuvanshi, Naman Tiwari, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohsin Khan
Kings of Punjab: Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Suryansh Shedge, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Vishnu Khathellod, Mishnu Khallod, Owen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ben Dwarshuis, Praveen Dubey, Yash Thakur, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash, Vishal Nishad
Also READ: IPL 2026: Kris Srikkanth takes strong digs at CSK bowler after play-off exit
LSG vs PBKS, IPL 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- PBKS wins the toss and bowl first
- LSG’s power play score: 45-55
- LSG total score: 175-185
Case 2:
- LSG wins the toss first
- PBKS power play score: 50-60
- Total score of PBKS: 1800-190
Match Result: The bowling team that came first in the competition.
Also READ: Zaheer Khan blasts CSK over Shivam Dube’s batting stance after IPL 2026 exit
