PBKS vs LSG

That is how the points table shapes up after the end of yet another double-header weekend. We will be back tomorrow with GT vs MI at the NaMo stadium. For now, this is Sourabh Agrawal signing off on behalf of Bidipto Datta. Cheers!

No prizes for guessing that Priyansh Arya is the Player of the Match for his scintillating innings of 93 runs off 37 balls: (what was special tonight?) The special thing about tonight was that I played for a long time after the powerplay and contributed for the team, it was fun. I do not practice six-hitting that much, I just focus on timing the ball. (fitness routines) Our trainers have been with us for the last 4-5 months, I follow whatever schedule they send and it has worked for me. (partnership with Connolly) I feel that if you talk a lot, you get a lot of thoughts so I do not do that a lot and it helps in keeping my mind free. (which shot was his favorite tonight?) A six that I hit over point by slashing it away was my favorite

Shreyas Iyer (PBKS captain): (partnership between Priyansh and Connolly) Was exceptional, some of the shots that I saw were jaw dropping. Hitting fast bowlers off the backfoot straight, spinners also is very tough and it was sensational how they build the partnership. (is six hitting a concious effort?) Was just talking with Cooper that let's just compete, who hit the most sixes this season, they are up for it. The prize is going to be my bat which does not make sense but as long as they keep performing, I am happy. You have got to let them be, when you let them be they perform their best. I do not tell them a lot, Ricky motivates us before a game and then I chip in with some words. (on their bowling effort) Majority of our bowlers are international bowlers, they have been doing well for their respective sides and again I do not have to tell them much. We do have a few plans against the batters, it is all about execution as long as they do not get complacent. (is Mullanpur a fortress for them now?) Yes, when we come here and see the wicket, it gives immense pleasure to be a part of this team. Last year, we had to brainstorm about how we have to go making wickets for our batters and bowlers, so far so good this year

Vyshak Vijaykumar (1/30 in 4 overs): "There's a lot of planning! The coaches and the video analyst have been doing a lot of planning, so credit to them. I wasn't bowling all that well in the last couple of games, but Prince Yadav's bowling in the 1st innings helped me to assess things better. The way our batters played, it was something to watch and behold! As for me, I bowled a lot of yorkers today. And nailed them. And for me, it is all about winning the game for my team, and that's how it has always been for me, no matter what the over of the time of innings. It's not necessary that I have to bowl 4 overs all the time, but, we did see Shashank Singh come in the other day and the day previous, to take wickets. So we are flexible, but, the team comes first for us." 

Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants captain): "The left hand is getting better, but, I got a new tattoo today (a bandage on the right forearm)! So, something is not going right! We have to get lots of things right. We were just not there today, the way we wanted to. Ayush Badoni coming in to bat as an opener was pre-decided. Wanted to make him bat freely. Credit needs to be given to Punjab Kings too, but, we have work to do. Will keep ourselves positive." 

11:21 PM local time and IST: MATCH SUMMARY

Punjab Kings (254/7 in 20 overs) beat Lucknow Super Giants (200/5 in 20 overs) by 54 runs

Priyansh Arya 93(37) | Marco Jansen 2/37(4)
Rishabh Pant 43(23) | Prince Yadav 2/25(4)

Punjab Kings reclaim their spot at the top of the points table, it is their spot truly and they have once again been clinical with the bat, ball (not so much on the field), they are yet to be beaten and are playing like a team which plays when it is up there

Shashank Singh looks a relieved man with the match coming to an end, he had a horrid time on the field but it is good to see that he can finally afford to smile and his teammates are around him and they can see the funny side of it

It tells you what a one-sided game it was when a team wins by 54 runs in a T20 game and you still feel that it could have been much more if not for the blips in the field but that does not take anything away from what PBKS have produced yet again

255 was never going to be easy, it is not supposed to be easy and the PBKS bowlers made sure that the already mammoth total looked even more 20. The fact that they used only 4 bowlers, three of whom went at under 10 an over should please them a lot. Vyshak was the pick of the five with figures of 1/30, Chahal was brilliant with 1/36 and so was Jansen

When the top-scorer in your team is 43 chasing down 255, it surely is a problem. They suprised one and all by pushing Badoni to open alongside Marsh, that worked but not like how they would have liked. Four scores between 35 and 43, that is simply not good enough to chase down a total like that

Pooran had another shocker with the bat, Pant and Marsh tried their hardest but only got into the 40s, Markram batted at 5 tonight and ended up with an unbeaten 42 but that was not even close to what was needed. There are plenty of questions that they need to answer, their net run-rate has taken a big hammering as well and it is now the worst among all 10 teams as they remain stuck on 4 points and complete a hat-trick of losses

19.6 Marco Jansen to Himmat Singh, over the wicket, JANSEN DROPS IT! BUT, PUNJAB KINGS WIN IT! Quite full and a bit slow on off-stump. Himmat smacks it straight back at the bowler. But Jansen, in his follow through, fails to cling on to the catch. The batters run through for a single, but knowing very well, that they have left a lot of runs behind! 

19.5 Marco Jansen to Aiden Markram, CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! Good length, slow and outside off. Markram moved across, slogged it, but ended up slicing it. Long-off settled under it well, kept the rope in mind and took it collectively! 

19.4 Marco Jansen to Aiden Markram, FOUR RUNS! On the fuller side of good length outside off. Scythed away over the short third area, with the bat flying away off the hands too! 

19.3 Marco Jansen to Mukul Choudhary, DROPPED BY PRABHSIMRAN NOW! Full and wide outside off. Sliced high up in the air with the shot through the line. Short third and keeper hardly called, and then, the keeper shelled it too! 

19.1 Marco Jansen to Mukul Choudhary, over the wicket, short and slow around off. Mukul loads up on the back foot and pulls it down to deep mid-wicket for a single.