A victory for LSG would help them finish a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign on a positive note, while a defeat for PBKS would officially knock them out of the playoff race.
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However, even a win may not guarantee qualification for the Shreyas Iyer-led side, with Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals also fighting for the remaining playoff spots.
Speaking at the toss, LSG captain Rishabh Pant said the surface looked excellent for batting and predicted a high-scoring contest. He added that LSG too would have preferred to bowl first and confirmed two changes to the playing XI, with Arjun and Arshin Kulkarni coming into the side.
“We would have bowled first as well. This wicket is good for cricket regardless of bowling or batting. This is one of the better batting wickets; it could be a high-scoring match. Two changes – Arjun and Arshin Kulkarni are in. It’s been a tough season, but at the same time, there has been a lot of learning, both for the team and personally. I’d say sorry for the fans, they have come from all over UP. It’s been tough going for us, but we’ll give our 100% today,” the LSG skipper said.
After winning the toss, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed two changes in Punjab’s playing XI.
“We will bowl first. Two changes – Marco and Vyshak are in. Feeling is exciting, I would say it’s a good match for us. We have never been in this situation before, and the boys are waiting to do their best,” Iyer said.
Teams:
Punjab Kings Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (w), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Punjab Kings Impact Players: Harpreet Brar, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Praveen Dubey.
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: Josh Inglis, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan.
Lucknow Super Giants Impact Players: Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Manimaran Siddharth, Himmat Singh, Akash Maharaj Singh.