Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant’s poor form with the bat and Punjab Kings’ captain Shreyas Iyer’s excellent rhythm have made the IPL match between these two teams, scheduled for Sunday here, an exciting contest. Punjab’s captain Iyer has been leading from the front and has performed well both as a captain and a batsman. He has already scored four half-centuries in this tournament, and his team is currently in fourth place on the points table with 13 points from 10 matches.
On the other hand, Pant has had a disappointing performance with the bat, scoring a total of 110 runs in 10 matches, which includes a 63-run innings against Chennai Super Kings. During this period, he failed to reach double digits in six innings. His poor form has affected the team, which is currently in sixth place on the points table with 10 points.
Iyer played a significant role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning campaign last season but was released before the mega auction. Punjab Kings bought him for ₹26.27 crore and appointed him as captain, and he has lived up to expectations so far. Punjab’s all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of the remaining tournament due to a finger fracture, and his replacements—Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, or even Xavier Bartlett—could be included in the playing XI.
In the batting department, apart from Iyer, opener Prabhsimran Singh has also delivered an impressive performance, while Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, and Shashank Singh have effectively fulfilled their roles.
On the bowling front, Yuzvendra Chahal’s return to form has strengthened Punjab. The leg-spinner took a hat-trick in the previous match against Chennai Super Kings. Lucknow’s batsmen will need to play him cautiously.
As for Lucknow, their team will take the field refreshed after a week’s break. In their last match, the return of fast bowler Mayank Yadav was a positive, yet they suffered a 54-run defeat against Mumbai Indians, exposing the weaknesses of a batting unit filled with power hitters like Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and David Miller. Lucknow’s batting has been heavily reliant on Pooran (377 runs), Marsh (344), and Markram (326), and their performances will be crucial in the upcoming match on Sunday.
