LSG vs PBKS Live Score, IPL 2026: Punjab Kings desperate for a win to keep their hopes alive

Updated on: May 23, 2026 5:18:56 PM IST

LSG vs PBKS Live Score, IPL 2026: Punjab Kings find themselves in a must-win situation as their playoff hopes hang by a thread after a sharp and unexpected dip in form. The momentum that once carried them through a dominant first half has completely disappeared, with the team now stuck in a damaging run of five consecutive defeats. The finalists from last season had looked well on course for another strong finish, but their campaign has unravelled at the worst possible stage, leaving them under immense pressure heading into their final league fixture.

Qualification is no longer in their control. Even if Punjab manage to overcome Lucknow Super Giants in their last match on Saturday, their place in the playoffs will still depend on results from other fixtures. They will be forced to monitor the outcomes of the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders matches closely, hoping for a combination of results to go their way. What once looked like a comfortable top-four finish has now turned into a tense waiting game, with every outcome elsewhere carrying significant weight for their survival in the tournament.

For Lucknow Super Giants, the equation is far simpler but no less emotional. Their campaign has failed to meet expectations, and they enter this contest with little at stake beyond pride. A win in their final game would offer some consolation after a season that never quite found stability or rhythm. Their batting unit has struggled to deliver in key moments, often falling short when the team needed momentum the most.

Despite having a promising group of young Indian pacers, Lucknow have been unable to consistently restrict opposition batting line-ups or defend totals under pressure. It has been a season marked by inconsistency and missed opportunities, leaving them outside the playoff picture well before the final round of league matches.

Punjab Kings’ dramatic slump has largely been driven by the sudden loss of form in their batting unit. The aggressive top order that powered their strong first half has failed to deliver consistently in recent matches. Priyansh Arya has managed only one fifty in his last seven innings and was dismissed for a duck in the previous game, while Prabhsimran Singh has also struggled to convert starts, scoring just one half-century in his last five outings. Cooper Connolly has shown promise but failed to play impactful knocks. Even captain Shreyas Iyer has seen a sharp dip in returns, crossing fifty only once during the losing streak.

Squads

LSG: Rishabh Pant (c), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan, Naman Tiwari, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, Akshat Raghuwanshi.

PBKS: Shreyas Iyer (c), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Mitchell Owen, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Musheer Khan, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Pyla Avinash, Yash Thakur, Harnoor Singh, Praveen Dubey, Vishal Nishad.

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