Lucknow, April 2 (IANS) Punjab Kings (PBKS) continued their stellar start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season with a commanding 8-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Restricting LSG to a total of 171/7, PBKS chased down the target in just 16.2 overs while giving away only 2 wickets. This second consecutive win has placed them firmly in second position on the points table.
Following the match, head coach Ricky Ponting’s message to the team was captured, where he said, “So many good things are happening. Let’s not take anything for granted with anything we are doing. Our attitudes have been spot on. We are just starting to scratch the surface. So let’s keep working hard together as a family as one and we are going to get better every day.”
Nehal Wadhera, who contributed a crucial unbeaten 43 off 25 balls, also revealed that he was not expecting to be a part of the Playing XI but head coach Ricky Ponting informed him about the same before the team went out to bat and chase the total.
Sharing his mindset before going out to bat, in the post-match press conference, Nehal said, “The way Prabhsimran and Iyer were batting, it was tremendous. They just went with one flow and the ball just kept on connecting. And later on, when I came in, I just had a clear thought that if it’s in my range, I am going to go 100% with it. And if it’s not in my range, I’ll just go for a single or double. But I had planned that I am not going to put our captain under pressure. I am going to take all the charge and I am going to attack all the bowlers.”
Player-of-the-Match Prabhsimran Singh who scored 69 runs off 34 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes also gave an insight into his batting technique and shared, “I was keeping it simple and had decided that I’ll back my game. When I went in and middled a few balls and then hit a few fours, I realized that I will stay on the crease for a longer time and tried to score as many runs as possible in less balls.”
The Punjab Kings’ bowling attack also played a significant role. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 43 runs, including crucial wickets at the start and end of the innings.
With two wins in two matches, Punjab Kings are currently second in the IPL points table.
Their next challenge will be their first home game of the season against the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, at the New PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh.
–IANS
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