IPL 2026 | PBKS needs to win against LSG, but its fate rests on other results

The last time Punjab Kings (PBKS) faced the now-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 19 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, it was the team to beat, going unbeaten in its first six games.

Cut to the present, and the Shreyas Iyer-led side has suffered six consecutive losses. It now faces a must-win situation against LSG in Lucknow on Saturday (May 23, 2026).

Punjab’s season has been a tale of two contrasting departments. Its batting has been terrifying. With over 2,400 runs and a tournament-leading 156 sixes, PBKS possesses the firepower to overwhelm anyone with the bat.

At the top, Priyansh Arya strikes at an absurd rate of 212.86, while Prabhsimran Singh relentlessly attacks the PowerPlay. Meanwhile, the breakout brilliance of Cooper Connolly (473 runs) anchors the middle order, with Shreyas Iyer providing stability.

However, Punjab’s Achilles’ heel is a bowling attack that has been violently exposed.

Its pace battery is bleeding. Premier pacer Arshdeep Singh, despite taking 14 wickets, is conceding at an economy of 9.78. Even Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen, its rotating overseas options, have struggled for consistency in the death overs. Without a disciplined defensive spearhead, Punjab is failing to contain teams in high-pressure finishes.

Lucknow, playing purely for pride, remains highly volatile. Free from pressure, LSG’s opening pair of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis — coming off a blistering 109-run stand — will look to launch a fearless PowerPlay assault to shatter Punjab’s fragile defensive lines.

For Punjab, surviving this initial onslaught is only the first step in a much larger, agonising battle for self-preservation. A win on Saturday won’t guarantee qualification for the 2025 finalist.

Its catastrophic losing streak has stripped it of control over its destiny. Even if PBKS reaches 15 points, it needs Mumbai Indians to defeat the Rajasthan Royals. If that happens and Kolkata Knight Riders also finishes on 15 points, PBKS’s superior Net Run Rate will be its ultimate saving grace to sneak into the playoffs.