IPL 2025: Prabhsimran, Arshdeep help PBKS reach second place with 37-run win over LSG (ld)

Dharamshala, May 4 (IANS) Prabhsimran Singh continued his great run in IPL 2025 by hitting a sublime 48-ball 91 while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh stood up with the new ball to blow away Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) top-order, as Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) moved to second place in IPL 2025 points table with a 37-run win at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday.

Though Prabhsimran missed out on hitting his second IPL century, his exhilarating boundary-hitting – 60% of his runs coming through off-side, propelled PBKS to 236/5, their 11th 200-plus total in the tournament.

He was well-supported by cameos from Josh Inglis (30), Shreyas Iyer (45), Nehal Wadhera (16), Shashank Singh (33 not out) and Marcus Stoinis (15 not out), as PBKS amassed 75 runs off the last five overs. For LSG, left-arm pacer Akash Singh was the only standout bowler - bowling his four overs on the trot to pick 2-30 and managed to keep his economy rate below 10.

In reply, Arshdeep removed Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran inside the powerplay to all but virtually set the deal in PBKS’ favour. Ayush Badoni (74) and Abdul Samad (45) sharing an 81-run stand for the sixth wicket ensured LSG finished at 199/7, which meant their net run rate didn’t suffer much, as PBKS got those crucial two points to boost their playoffs chances.

The result also means PBKS secured an IPL win in Dharamshala after 12 years. Pushed into batting first, PBKS were dealt an early blow when Priyansh Arya sliced an away swinging ball from Akash Singh to deep third man. Inglis took a liking to Mayank Yadav’s pace and short balls by smacking him for three sixes – including being given a reprieve by Avesh Khan at square leg in the second over.

Prabhsimran then orchestrated Mayank’s takedown by slashing, clubbing and slicing to collect two sixes and a four. Akash struck again in power-play by having Inglis pull straight to square leg and dismiss him for 14-ball 30. After being given a reprieve when Nicholas Pooran dropped his catch at mid-off on 22, Prabhsimran took charge by muscling Avesh, Digvesh Rathi and Prince Yadav for boundaries, before getting his fifty off 30 balls.

From the other end, Iyer continued his good runs by hitting boundaries at will – with his sixes off Prince and Digvesh being the standout shots. But against the run of play, Iyer looked to slice off Rathi, but was caught by point. Prabhsimran made up for a mini slowdown by slog-sweeping Digvesh for a brace of sixes, before pulling Prince for another maximum.

Prince, though, had something to cheer by uprooting Wadhera’s leg-stump with a pin-point yorker. Shashank joined the run-scoring party by smacking Mayank for four and six, including sending the ball outside the stadium. While Prabhsimran pulled and lofted Avesh for a brace of sixes apart from a lucky edge flying for four, Shashank scooped and edged for his two boundaries, as 26 runs came off the 18th over, with PBKS crossing 200-mark.

Just when it looked like he would get a century, Prabhsimran’s attempt to reverse-sweep Rathi ended up in extra cover taking a diving catch, as he fell for a brilliant 91. Stoinis lofted Avesh for six, before Shashank picked a four via scoop to end a power-paced PBKS innings laced with a whopping 34 boundaries.

PBKS’ had a bright start to their defence – Arshdeep took out openers Marsh and Markram in the third over. While Marsh’s flick was caught by an attentive deep backward square leg, Markram chopped on to his stumps. Arshdeep again struck in power-play when his inswinger went past Pooran’s stumps and hit him on the back leg, thus trapping him plumb lbw, as LSG made 38/3 in the power-play, their lowest score in this phase of the ongoing season.

Rishabh Pant hit three boundaries in his 18 off 17 off balls, before flashing so hard against Azmatullah Omarzai that he lost control of the bat, while the ball was easily caught by deep cover in the eighth over. LSG’s slide continued as David Miller sliced to deep cover, giving Omarzai his second wicket.

Samad and Badoni brought out some big-hitting blitzkrieg – smashing 21 runs off Vyshak Vijaykumar’s first over, before the former dispatched Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes in the 13th over. Samad’s blitzkrieg continued when he whipped Marcus Stoinis for four and six, before he hit a slower ball from Jansen back to left-arm pacer and fall for a 24-ball 45.

Badoni went on to bring up his fifty off 32 balls by lofting Vyshak over long-on for six, and followed it up with an incredible whip and sweep fetching him more boundaries. But Chahal had other ideas – forcing Badoni to miscue to short third man and fall for a 40-ball 74, as PBKS began their crucial home stretch with a complete win.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 236/5 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 91, Shreyas Iyer 45; Akash Singh 2-30, Digvesh Rathi 2-46) beat Lucknow Super Giants 199/7 in 20 overs (Ayush Badoni 74, Abdul Samad 45; Arshdeep Singh 3-16, Azmatullah Omarzai 2-33) by 37 runs

--IANS

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