Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to bowl first against Punjab Kings in Match 29 of IPL 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Sunday. The decision reflects the trend at the venue, where chasing teams have often benefited from evening conditions and dew.
Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, have opted to go in with an unchanged playing XI, showing confidence in a lineup that has delivered consistent performances throughout the season. Lucknow Super Giants, meanwhile, have made one change to their side, bringing in Manimaran Siddharth in place of Digvesh Rathi.
Toss update - PBKS vs LSG
Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and chose to bowl first. The decision indicates their intent to chase under
potentially dew-affected conditions later in the evening, which could make batting easier in the second innings.
Speaking at the toss, Rishabh Pant said the team preferred chasing as it allows them to play with clarity and adjust their approach based on the target. He also confirmed the team change, noting that Siddharth replaces Rathi for this fixture.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer expressed confidence in his side's batting strength and stated that the team was comfortable setting a target, especially given their strong top-order form in recent matches.
Match context
Punjab Kings enter this clash as the only unbeaten side in IPL 2026 so far, sitting comfortably at the top of the points table with four wins and one no-result from five matches. Their batting lineup has been one of the most aggressive in the tournament, regularly chasing down large totals and dominating bowling attacks.
Lucknow Super Giants, on the other hand, have endured a stop-start season. With two wins from five matches, they currently sit in the lower half of the standings and are looking to regain momentum. Their recent losses against Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru exposed gaps in both batting consistency and bowling execution.
Pant's own form has also been under scrutiny, with his aggressive batting output dipping compared to previous seasons. However, this match provides an opportunity for the LSG captain to lead from the front and restore confidence within the squad.
Pitch and conditions at Mullanpur
The surface being used for this match is reportedly fresh and has not been used in previous games at the venue this season. This adds an element of uncertainty, as teams will need to quickly assess conditions during the early overs.
Historically, pitches at Mullanpur have offered a balanced contest between bat and ball. Fast bowlers typically get some movement early with the new ball, but once batters settle in, stroke play becomes easier due to consistent bounce. Dew later in the evening is expected to play a role, strengthening the decision to bowl first after winning the toss.
Weather conditions are expected to remain hot and slightly humid, with dew likely to develop in the latter half of the match.
Head-to-head record
Matches played: 6
Punjab Kings wins: 3
Lucknow Super Giants wins: 3
The rivalry between Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants remains evenly poised, with both teams winning three matches each so far.
Playing XIs - PBKS vs LSG
Punjab Kings Playing XI:
Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI:
Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Mukul Choudhary, Avesh Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan
