IPL 2026, PBKS vs LSG 29th Match Match Preview

Big Picture: Can LSG test the PBKS middle order?

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have gone off the boil after a promising start, slipping into a two-match slide they’ll be desperate to arrest. But the magnitude of that challenge couldn’t be steeper as they take on table-toppers Punjab Kings, who are yet to drop a game.

LSG’S dip is best captured in their batting returns. Mukul Choudhary’s 127 runs lead their run charts and 54 of those came in a match-winning effort against Kolkata Knight Riders. This underlines their batting struggles: LSG are the slowest-scoring side in the tournament (run rate 8.1), in stark contrast to PBKS, who are second-best (10.9).

Amid these batting struggles, it must be soothing that Rishabh Pant is fully fit after recovering from a blow on his left elbow in the previous match. Concerns were raised because Pant didn’t keep wickets during LSG’s bowling innings in Bengaluru.

PBKS have little to worry about on the batting front – their run rate of 11.5 is the second best in the powerplay. For this, they have Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya’s rip-roaring form to thank. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has already struck three half-centuries while striking at 197 through the middle overs (7-16).

Twice this season, they have walked home in 200-plus chases, while also making 196 look regulation in the previous game against Mumbai Indians. Shreyas has built on the foundation set by the openers in each of those games; in fact his 447 runs are the most in successful chases since IPL 2025.

The PBKS middle order hasn’t quite been tested, which makes early inroads crucial for LSG. Encouragingly for them, the new-ball attack led by Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav has been among the most effective in the powerplay.

This is yet another clash that could come down to LSG’s bowling might needing to do the heavy lifting, but it’s imperative their batters come good sooner than later to turn around their lacklustre start.

Form Guide

Punjab Kings WWWW (last four completed matches, most recent first)
Lucknow Super Giants LLWW

Key Question

Team News

PBKS have a fully fit squad to choose from. They are unlikely to tinker with a combination that has delivered four wins.

Punjab Kings (starting XII): 1 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2 Priyansh Arya, 3 Cooper Connolly, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Vijaykumar Vyshak, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Nehal Wadhera

With Pant fit and available, LSG are unlikely to make changes to their combination. But Abdul Samad has struggled for form and rhythm, so there’s a case for LSG to bring in Akshat Raghuwanshi, the MP batter.

Lucknow Super Giants (starting XII): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Rishabh Pant (capt), 4 Ayush Badoni, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Mukul Choudhary, 8 George Linde, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Prince Yadav, 12 Mayank Yadav/Digvesh Rathi

In the spotlight

After going wicketless in his first three games, while also conceding at 9.9, Arshdeep Singh bounced back superbly to dismiss Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav off consecutive deliveries against MI. After struggling with his execution of the yorkers at the start of the tournament, there were signs of him returning to his dominating best, best illustrated by his dismissal of Sherfane Rutherford to deny MI a finishing kick, which ultimately proved to be decisive. This upturn comes just as he’ll be up against two batters (Mitch Marsh and Aiden Markram) whom he has dismissed a combined 10 times across 25 T20s.

Tom Moody, LSG’s global director, was blunt in his assessment of Abdul Samad. He felt Samad was no longer a “youngster” and, after six IPL seasons, should be delivering more even accounting for the demands of a finisher’s role. Five games in, he has managed just 72 runs at an average of 14.40 and a strike rate of 111. Time may be running out for him. These numbers are inferior to his modest returns in 2024 and 2025, where he averaged 18.2 and 20.5 respectively.

Stats and trivia

Five games in, the PBKS opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh averages 48.5. LSG are the only team without a half-century opening stand so far.

Arya’s eight sixes are the second-best by a batter off his first 10 balls at IPL 2026. Rajat Patidar leads the race with 13 sixes.

LSG’s overall batting average of 19.8 is the lowest among all 10 teams this season.

Nicholas Pooran’s strike rate of 76 this IPL is the lowest among batters to have faced at least 50 balls.

Pitch and conditions

The match will be played on a surface that hasn’t been used in any of the 13 previous games in New Chandigarh. But the neighbouring surfaces on which the playoffs were played last year played the polar opposites. PBKS were bundled out for 101 against RCB in Qualifier 1, while Mumbai Indians made 228 to beat Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator. Weather-wise, conditions are expected to be hot and dry, with a high of 37 degrees Celsius. Dew could be a factor.

Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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