LSG overcome poor start to make 171 against Punjab Kings

Lucknow Super Giants 171 for 7 (Pooran 44, Badoni 41, Arshdeep 3 for 43) vs Punjab Kings

Late blows from Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni dragged Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 171 for 7 on a two-paced, red-soil pitch after Punjab Kings (PBKS) had opted to bowl in IPL 2025.

Such a competitive total seemed beyond LSG's reach after Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, who had replaced Azmatullah Omarzai, and Glenn Maxwell had carved up their top order. At the end of the powerplay, LSG were 39 for 3. Maxwell had just dismissed LSG captain Rishabh Pant for 2 off 5 balls with an innocuous delivery. LSG, however, offset the early slide by taking 63 off the last six overs of their innings.

While Badoni anchored their innings with 41 off 33 balls, Samad kicked into top gear right away, smacking 27 off 12 balls, including two sixes and two fours. Samad left jaws on the door when he reverse-scooped Arshdeep over the keeper for four in the 18th over, which cost PBKS 20 runs. Arshdeep bounced back to dismiss both Badoni and Samad in the final over, but the pair had done enough to repair the innings.

Arshdeep had also started well earlier in the evening, snaring Mitchell Marsh for a golden duck. His opening partner Aiden Markram moved to 28 off 18 balls before Ferguson bowled him via an inside edge. PBKS then matched Maxwell up with Pant and got him cheaply too.

A cat-and-mouse game then ensued between Nicholas Pooran and Yuzvendra Chahal. When the wristspinner looped a couple of wrong'uns away from Pooran's reach in his first over, the batter carved those away for fours. In his next over, though, Chahal cut Pooran's innings short at 44 off 30 balls with a loopier googly. LSG were 89 for 4 in the 12th over at that point. Samad and Badnoni then got together in the end overs to help push that total past 170.