Match overview
Punjab Kings beat Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets at BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on 1 April 2025. Lucknow posted 171/7 batting first but lost 3 wickets in the powerplay for just 39 runs, a start from which they never fully recovered. Punjab's reply was measured and assured: 62/1 in the powerplay, 93/1 through the middle overs, and a simple 22 more to get at the death. P Simran Singh earned the Player of the Match award. The result shifts the IPL head-to-head in Punjab's favour for the first time, with Punjab now leading the all-time series 4–2 after previously being level at 3–3.
Lucknow's recovery after the powerplay was impressive in isolation. Their middle phase produced 78 runs for 1 wicket, and the death brought 54 more for 3. But conceding the powerplay so cheaply against a target-setting team always creates pressure, and 171 on a ground where the average first-innings score is 177 placed them slightly below par from the start. Punjab never allowed the game to feel close.
Venue and conditions
Ekana has now hosted 44 IPL matches, making it a reasonably well-understood surface. The average first-innings score of 177 confirms it sits in the middle of the pack for T20 grounds across India: not a road, not a minefield. Lucknow's 171 fell 6 runs short of that benchmark, which is not a disaster but it gave Punjab a target that was always within reach on this surface.
The ground's toss data is skewed. In 68% of matches at Ekana, the side winning the toss has chosen to field. The chase success rate of 53% across those 44 matches is modestly positive but not dramatic. What the numbers say is that fielding first is the sensible default, and Punjab followed the pattern. Their powerplay average for the chase. 62 runs for 1 wicket. Was well above the venue's powerplay average of 47, which tells you less about the surface and more about the quality of batting Punjab brought to the chase.
Death-overs data from Ekana shows an average of 40 runs in overs 16–20. Lucknow scored 54 in that phase for 3 wickets, so they did extract above-average value in the back end. It simply wasn't enough given what the top order had failed to provide.
How to watch
IPL 2025 is broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Matches are accessible via Sky Go for subscribers and through a NOW TV streaming pass for those watching on a match-by-match basis. Evening matches in India, which start at 19:30 IST, begin at 14:00 UK time. Afternoon matches starting at 15:30 IST come through at 10:00 UK time. Sky's coverage typically includes pre-match analysis, live commentary, and post-match review.
Recent form
Punjab Kings arrived at this match on the back of a win against Gujarat Titans in 2025, though their recent record across both 2024 and 2025 is mixed: 2 wins from their last 5 IPL outings, with losses to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Chennai Super Kings along the way. The performance here, however, was among the more complete in that run.
Lucknow Super Giants had beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad in their most recent 2025 outing before this defeat, and they won against Mumbai Indians in 2024. Their form across the last 5 matches reads 2 wins and 3 losses, with defeats to Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in that stretch. The powerplay fragility on display against Punjab has appeared before and is likely to be an area of focus ahead of their next fixture.
