Shreyas Iyer's ton keeps Punjab playoff hopes alive, but their fate hangs on Rajasthan's Sunday match

With 13 balls remaining and Punjab Kings needing just three runs to win, their supporters were seen praying in the stands as the franchise edged closer to victory. On strike was skipper Shreyas Iyer, who smashed the very next ball for a six, sealing two milestones at once — Punjab kept their playoff hopes alive, while Iyer completed a magnificent century.

Chasing a target of 197 set by Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab were struggling at 22/2 at one stage before their captain led the rescue act in style. Powered by Iyer’s century, the Kings chased down the total comfortably, finishing on 200/3 to defeat LSG by seven wickets.

Apart from Iyer, Prabhsimran Singh also made a vital contribution with 69 runs, as the duo stitched together a match-winning 140-run partnership for the third wicket to guide their side home.

With the victory, Punjab Kings moved to 15 points from 14 matches, though their playoff fate is still not entirely in their hands. They now await Rajasthan Royals’s next match on Sunday against the Mumbai Indians. A win for Rajasthan would take them to 16 points and eliminate Punjab from the tournament. Punjab must also keep an eye on Kolkata Knight Riders, who sit on 13 points with one game remaining and could overtake them on net run rate with a big-margin victory.

Before the game, Punjab knew that only a win would keep their playoff hopes alive. Opting to bowl first, they produced a disciplined bowling display and reduced Lucknow to 20/2 early in the innings. However, Josh Inglis and Ayush Badoni revived the innings with knocks of 72 and 43 respectively. Abdul Samad then added an unbeaten 35, while Arjun Tendulkar chipped in with five runs, helping LSG post 196/6.

Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up two wickets each for Punjab.

With the defeat, Lucknow Super Giants finished their season at the bottom of the points table with just four wins and eight points.