Punjab Kings snapped their two-match undefeated streak to beat Lucknow Super Giants and return to winning ways in IPL 2023. Sam Curran took up the captaincy responsibilities of Punjab Kings in the match as Shikhar Dhawan was nursing an injury. It was indeed a massive jolt for Punjab, especially their batting, as Dhawan has been one of their best performers. Batting first, Lucknow Super Giants got off to a decent start with KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers seeing out the powerplay. But then they lost two quick wickets, which dented their scoring rate. Skipper Rahul (74) was solid at one, while at the other, there was not much effort to speak about. Mayers (29) was the next best scorer, with Krunal Pandya and Marcus Stoinis managing just 18 and 15 runs, respectively. In form, Nicholas Pooran, too, did not have a good game, departing for a golden duck. For Punjab, stand-in captain Sam Curran was the best bowler (3/31), while Kagiso Rabada also took two. IPL 2023 Points Table Updated With Net Run Rate.

Chasing 160 to win, Punjab Kings did not have the best of starts, with debutant Atharva Taide departing the first over, bowled by Lucknow’s debutant Yudhvir Singh (2/19). The right-arm pacer then castled Prabhsimran Singh in his next over to put Lucknow ahead. Matthew Short played some fine shots to shift the momentum and he was successful to some extent before finding the fielder after playing a lofted shot. However, it was Sikandar Raza, who held the chase together and despite a slow start, he picked up pace. The Zimbabwean also hit Krunal Pandya for two sixes and three fours in the 13th over of the match to put Punjab back into the contest. Eventually, Shahrukh Khan’s 23 off 10 balls helped Punjab Kings win the match with three balls to spare. Catch of the Match! KL Rahul Pulls Off Sensational Diving Catch to Dismiss Jitesh Sharma During LSG vs PBKS IPL 2023 Clash (Watch Video).

LSG vs PBKS Stat Highlights

#Harpreet Bhatia played an IPL match for the first time in 3981 days.

#KL Rahul completed 4000 runs in IPL.

#Sikandar Raza scored his first IPL fifty.

#KL Rahul scored his first half-century in IPL 2023.

#Sam Curran made his Punjab Kings captaincy debut.

#Lucknow Super Giants lost their second match in IPL while defending a total

#Curran registered the best bowling figures by a player on his IPL captaincy debut

Punjab Kings will now hope to keep this momentum going when they face Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 20. Lucknow Super Giants on the other hand, will hope to return to winning ways when they go up against Rajasthan Royals on April 19.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2023 01:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).