Punjab Kings (PBKS) have done what they could have done on Saturday, and now they will have to rely on results going in their favour in the two games scheduled to be played on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer and Co. had to win on Saturday against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium to get to 15 points and remain in contention for the playoffs.
They came into the match on the back of a six-match losing streak. However, Shreyas Iyer won an important toss and opted to field first.
Arshin Kulkarni and Nicholas Pooran departed cheaply but Josh Inglish and Ayush Badoni forged a 49-run stand off 23 balls to bring LSG back in the game. Inglish finished as the top-scorer, amassing 72 off 44 balls, while Abdul Samad's late cameo (37* off 20) helped the hosts finish on 196/6.
Mohammed Shami bagged two wickets in his first two overs but Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh steadied the ship by mixing caution with aggression. Once they were set at the crease, they took the LSG bowlers to the cleaners, amassing 140 runs off just 76 balls during a breathtaking stand.
While Prabhsimran was dismissed for a 39-ball 69, Shreyas batted till the end and finished on 101* off 51 balls, taking his team home with seven wickets and two overs to spare.
Qualification scenarios explained
If Rajasthan Royals beat the Mumbai Indians on Sunday, May 24, at the Wankhede Stadium, in the afternoon fixture, they would get to 16 points and make it to the playoffs. However, if they lose, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) versus Delhi Capitals' (DC) clash later in the night would become very crucial.
KKR are currently on 13 points. If they beat DC at the Eden Gardens by 77 runs if they bat first and score 200 or chase 180 runs in around 12-12.4 overs, they would match PBKS on 15 points and make their net run rate better than the Shreyas Iyer-led side. This would help the three-time champions reach the playoffs.
