After a strong start to the IPL 2025 campaign, Punjab Kings are set to take on Lucknow Super Giants in Match 13 of the tournament on April 1 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. With one win already under their belt, Punjab will be determined to maintain their momentum and add another victory to their tally.
What to Expect from the Pitch?
The Ekana Stadium has proven to be favourable for teams batting first, with 60% of matches going in their favour. The average first-innings score in the last 10 games at this venue stands at 171. Punjab’s aggressive batting unit will look to capitalise on this and set or chase down a competitive target.
Head-to-Head Battle
Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants have faced off four times in the IPL, with Punjab winning just once. Lucknow have dominated the fixture so far, winning three out of four matches, including a high-scoring game where they posted 257. However, Punjab Kings, riding on their opening-match victory, will be eager to improve their record and even the score this time around.
Punjab Kings’ Strengths and Key Players
Punjab Kings' batting firepower has been their biggest strength, with Shreyas Iyer leading the charge. His unbeaten 97 in the first match showcased his ability to anchor the innings while accelerating when needed. Alongside him, young Priyansh Arya has added aggression at the top, scoring a quick 47 at a strike rate of 204.35.
In the middle and lower order, Shashank Singh’s explosive 44* off just 16 balls provided the perfect finishing touch, proving Punjab have the firepower to go big in the death overs.
On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh has been Punjab’s go-to pacer, picking up two wickets in the opening game. His ability to strike in crucial phases makes him a key weapon in restricting Lucknow’s strong batting unit. With a balanced squad and players in form, Punjab Kings will be confident of securing back-to-back wins.
Punjab Kings Squad :
Harnoor Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Josh Inglis (wk), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vishnu Vinod (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kuldeep Sen, Lockie Ferguson, Praveen Dubey, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal
Lucknow Super Giants Squad :
Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Prince Yadav, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Aryan Juyal (wk), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Akash Deep, Akash Singh, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh, M Siddharth, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi and Shamar Joseph
