Shreyas Ayyar’s Century Secures Punjab Kings’ Convincing Win, Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive

Captain Shreyas Ayyar scored an unbeaten 101 runs off 51 balls to lead Punjab Kings to victory against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. Punjab chased down the target of 197 runs in 18 overs with 3 wickets lost, maintaining their playoff hopes. With this win, Punjab has climbed to fourth place on the points table with 15 points from 14 matches. The two matches scheduled for Sunday will decide the final playoff teams. Kathmandu, 23 May.

Thanks to Shreyas Ayyar’s spectacular century, Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026, bolstering their chances of reaching the playoffs. Punjab successfully chased the target of 197 runs set by Lucknow in just 18 overs, losing 3 wickets. Ayyar completed his century with a winning six and remained unbeaten on 101 runs off 51 balls. Prabhsimran Singh contributed 69 runs, while Cooper Connolly scored 18 and Suryansh Shekhag remained not out on 9 runs.

For Lucknow, Mohammed Shami took 2 wickets while Arjun Tendulkar claimed 1. Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Lucknow posted 196 runs for 6 wickets in their 20 overs. Opener Josh Inglis was the top scorer with 72 runs, followed by Ayush Badoni who made 43, and Abdul Samad who ended unbeaten on 37 runs. For Punjab, Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal took 2 wickets each, while Vijaykumar Vaishak and Ajmatullah Omarzai picked up 1 wicket each. With this victory, Punjab’s tally rises to 15 points from 14 games, positioning them fourth in the standings. The upcoming two matches on Sunday will finalize the playoff picture.