Shreyas Iyer picked the perfect evening to score his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) ton as he powered Punjab Kings to a comfortable seven-wicket win over the Lucknow Super Giants.

“He’s a tremendous leader of many. He reads the game well,” said PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin after the game.

“There are two main things that I think I enjoy most about him. One is his care for his players, and the other is his appetite for the big moment. He’s seen that tonight. He wanted to be the one to make the difference, and that’s what you want from your leaders, whether it’s for the IPL or for your country,” added the 48-year-old.

Haddin emphasised that the team’s overall execution in high-pressure situations has been a major focus behind the scenes.

“I think as any coaching staff, you have to identify moments where you need to get better, and that’s what we’ve done. A lot of the games we lost went to the last over and a couple to the last ball where we were close, but we probably weren’t identifying those big moments,” he said.

Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant in action during the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Twenty20 cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 23, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

While one captain delivered when it mattered, his counterpart, Rishabh Pant, had little to show for his efforts — either on Saturday (May 23, 2026) or across a grueling season.

LSG’s Global Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, felt his captaincy and batting are correlated. “From a captaincy point of view, he’s found it challenging, obviously, and the results reflect that. And you have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected with his performance with the bat,” he said.

“And certainly when it comes to the leadership of the franchise, it’s something that we’ll be giving some very serious consideration to what it looks like in the future,” he added.

Nine 200-plus totals conceded and six consecutive losses have left Punjab Kings (PBKS) facing a complex qualification scenario in the ongoing Indian Premier League season.

Gearing up for a do-or-die fixture against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium here on Saturday (May 23, 2026), PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting rued the team’s inability to deliver in crunch moments.

“Yes, we’ve lost six games in a row. But there have been very few games where we’ve been outplayed. We got into winning positions in most but haven’t been able to close them out,” he said.

PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting during the press conference ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

A key factor in the team’s decline has been Arshdeep Singh’s dip in form compared to last season. However, Ponting defended his frontline pacer, noting that the shortest format has shifted drastically in favor of batters.

“In the last three games, Arshdeep has been getting back to his best,” Ponting said. “He didn’t pick up wickets in the first three games, but since then, he’s been pretty consistent.”

Ponting emphasised the high-scoring nature of the tournament to contextualise the bowling struggles. “We have conceded nine 200-plus totals, but we’ve made 200s eight times. The IPL has become a much higher-scoring tournament, and bowlers’ figures reflect that. I’ve been extremely happy with how Arshdeep has bowled.”

Come Saturday, PBKS will hope Arshdeep and the bowling attack can finally flip the script and deliver crucial, match-defining breakthroughs with the team’s playoffs qualification on the line.

Lance Klusener assistant coach of LSG during a press conference ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

On the other hand, an already eliminated LSG comes into the game with nothing to lose. It already played a part in Chennai Super Kings’ exit and will look to do the same against the visitor.

“We haven’t found the ideal winning formula this season so far. So, hopefully moving into tomorrow, we can do that, and we can put on one final good show for our fans at home,” said LSG assistant coach Lance Klusener.

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.

Moments after Delhi Capitals suffered a harrowing loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at home on May 8, skipper Axar Patel, resigned to his team not making the playoffs of IPL 2026, said the remaining three league games would be used to give opportunities to newer players. One of the beneficiaries of Axar’s view has been all-rounder Madhav Tiwari.

The 22-year-old from Madhya Pradesh — his family hails from Rewa district but he was born and brought up in Indore — has grabbed his opportunity in DC’s previous two matches.

The seamer picked up two wickets apiece against both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, and he also provided a glimpse of his ability with the willow during an unbeaten 14-ball 18 to seal a successful chase at the expense of Shreyas Iyer’s men.

Curiously, Madhav, whose IPL debut came against Mumbai Indians last year, is yet to feature for his State team at the senior level. He attracted the attention of Capitals when he turned out for Bhopal Leopards in the maiden Madhya Pradesh T20 League in 2024.

Delhi Capitals’ Madhav Tiwari, right, celebrates with his captain Axar Patel after dismissing Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

“What was spoken about Madhav when we picked him was that he was somebody who liked the pressure. He can bat, hit a long ball, and also bowl through all three phases,” DC head coach Hemang Badani told the media.

Madhav owes his cricketing skills to former India batter Amay Khurasiya, having trained at the 54-year-old’s academy in Indore since the age of 12. As Khurasiya recounts, Madhav, whose father has a transport and logistics business, was a reluctant bowler to begin with.

“Those kids who bat well generally don’t like bowling. He was one of those kids who loved batting,” Khurasiya told The Hindu. “He never enjoyed bowling, but he somehow took my advice. I have been particular about everyone developing both the fundamental skills in the game.”