Punjab Kings (PBKS) leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal expressed relief and satisfaction after his side ended a frustrating six-match losing streak with a crucial seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2026.
The victory at the Ekana Cricket Stadium kept Punjab’s playoff hopes alive and lifted them to fourth place in the points table. Chasing a challenging target of 197, Punjab Kings delivered a dominant batting performance led by skipper Shreyas Iyer, who smashed an unbeaten 101 off just 51 deliveries. He shared a match-winning 140-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh as PBKS completed the chase comfortably in 18 overs.
The result marked a significant turnaround for Punjab, who had started the season strongly by winning first six of their seven games (one no result) before suffering six consecutive defeats that pushed them to the edge of elimination.
Speaking after the game, Chahal reflected on the team’s difficult phase and highlighted the importance of maintaining unity and positivity within the dressing room.
“When you win six of your first seven matches and then go on to lose the next six, after a point, there’s nothing left to say. How you keep the team together and the environment close-knit becomes key. So, there were never any negative thoughts. Even during practice, the focus was on ourselves and how we could get those two points because it had been almost a month since we last won a game. So, this win feels special,” Chahal said on JioHotstar after the game.
Despite the victory, Punjab’s qualification hopes are still dependent on other results going their way. They require Mumbai Indians to defeat Rajasthan Royals in Sunday’s encounter to stay in the playoff race and then hope that either Kolkata Knight Riders lose to Delhi Capitals later in the day, or not win by only such margin that they stay behind in net run rate.
Chahal also shared a humorous take while talking about the upcoming clash at the Wankhede Stadium, jokingly backing Mumbai and veteran opener Rohit Sharma.
“We will be in Lucknow only. Hopefully, RR lose tomorrow and Rohit Sharma scores 200 directly, it’s been a long time,” he said.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remain mathematically in contention and could still move ahead of Punjab on net run-rate with a massive win over Delhi Capitals (DC). They will face off against each other at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on May 24.
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