As Punjab Kings registered their second win of the season with a victory over Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets, skipper Shreyas Iyer praised his players for executing their roles to perfection in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
This is the start we required. Boys actually played their roles well, they contributed to the best of their ability, and whatever we planned, they executed it to the fullest. To be honest, there is no right combination. The camaraderie and synergy has to click at the right time.
"All teams have the potential to win the game, you just need to have a similar mindset of wanting to win - that is what we always talk about. I always try to be in the present and this innings is history for me, just want to focus on the next one now," he added.
Things started falling in their favour soon after Iyer won the toss and invited Lucknow Super Giants to bat first.
Arshdeep Singh struck a massive blow in the very first over by sending Mitchell Marsh back for a golden duck while Lockie Ferguson, playing his first game for PBKS, made an immediate impact as well, removing Aiden Markram for a well-made 28 off 18 deliveries.
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant fell for 2 while Nicholas Pooram top-scored with 44. Ayush Badoni contributed a 33-ball 41 as Lucknow Super Giants posted a sub-par score of 171/7. Arshdeep with 3-43 was their most successful bowler.
In reply, Punjab Kings rode a 34-ball 69 by opener Prabhsimran Singh, who used innovative shots like scoop, ramp, sweep and slash to complete his half-century. Skipper Shreyas Iyer contributed a 30-ball 52 and Nehal Wadhera hammered a 24-ball 43 as PBKS reached the target in 16.2 overs, with 22 balls remaining.
"It was not enough, we were 20-25 runs short. That is part and parcel of the game - our first home game, so still assessing the conditions. (On the early wickets they lost) Definitely. It is always going to be tough (to get to a bigger total) when you lose early wickets."
"You cannot control each and everything, but each player is trying to take the game forward. The idea was to get a slow wicket because we felt it is a home game, it is going to stop a bit. When you were bowling slow, it was sticking. We were not good enough on the day. We will learn from it and move forward. Definitely lots of positives, early in the tournament, still figuring out a lot of things for the team, and hopefully it will come out nicely for us," said Rishabh Pant.
Punjab Kings now share the top spot with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals as they have four points from two wins.
Punjab Kings will return home to Chandigarh for a clash with Rajasthan Royals on April 5 while LSG will meet Mumbai Indians a day earlier.
Brief Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 171/7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 44, Ayush Badoni 41; Arshdeep Singh 3-43, Marco Jansen 1-28) beat Punjab Kings 177/2 in 16.2 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 69, Shreyas Iyer 52 not out; Digvesh Singh Rathi 2-30) by eight wickets.
