PBKS vs LSG Preview: Can Punjab Make It Five From Five at Mullanpur? | IPL 2026

18th April 2026

Four from four and riding the crest of a wave. Punjab Kings are the surprise package of IPL 2026 – unbeaten, top of the table, and now back at their Mullanpur fortress against a Lucknow side badly in need of a win. This is a genuine title contender versus a team trying to find its footing. Something has to give.

Venue – Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur

Mullanpur is a big-scoring ground and IPL 2026 has confirmed that. The first-innings average here is 175.1 – right up there with the highest in India – and the average match total of 340.3 means both innings are routinely big. Teams batting first have won exactly 50% of matches, so the toss is coin-flip territory and neither team can bank on chasing being a structural advantage. Seam accounts for 55.4% of wickets, spin 40% – a decent blend, but the pitch offers enough for pacemen in the powerplay. Punjab have a W5/L7 record here from 12 matches – they know the ground but it hasn’t been a fortress by results. Today they’re the form team – that changes the dynamic.

Form and H2H

Punjab are the story of this IPL. Four wins from four completed matches (one no-result), averaging 159.2 runs per innings while their bowlers have been the real revelation – conceding just 162 per match. They sit top of the table on 9 points. Form: W, W, NR, W, W. Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy has been sharp and the squad depth is being used well.

Lucknow have stumbled through their first five games at W2/L3, averaging 158.6 runs and conceding 159.2 – a near-identical twin to their own attack, which means their wins and losses are settled on thin margins. Form: L, L, W, W, L. They need this game badly.

The H2H is dead-level: 3-3 from 6 matches (2022-2025). Last five from PBKS perspective: W, W, L, L, W. Very tight series historically – the top H2H scorer is Prabhsimran Singh with 192 runs, which tells you Punjab have been the more consistent performers in these meetings. Arshdeep Singh leads the H2H wickets column with 10, ahead of Kagiso Rabada (9).

Statz Projections

Statz projects Punjab as favourites in this fixture, with their season win percentage of 80% against LSG’s 40% reflecting the current gap in form. The standout D11 projection is Cooper Connolly (109.9 pts) – the Australian allrounder who has been one of the finds of this IPL, projected for 18.6 runs and 1.9 wickets from 2.9 overs. Shashank Singh (99.7 D11) follows closely, with Yuzvendra Chahal at 96.2 the top spinner pick.

For LSG, Aiden Markram tops the D11 projection at 100.2, with George Linde close behind at 92.1 – both allrounders projected to contribute with bat and ball. Check the full model at Statz Cricket.

Predicted Lineups

PBKS (likely XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Cooper Connolly, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

LSG (likely XI): Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, George Linde, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi

Check the fixture page for any confirmed changes after the toss.

Key Players

Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS) – 211 runs in 2026 and the leading run-scorer in this match-up historically with 192 H2H runs. He’s projected at 28.4 runs from 18 balls here and has been in relentless form at the top. The wicketkeeper-batter PBKS have built around.

Cooper Connolly (PBKS) – The Statz D11 leader for this fixture (109.9 pts) and the surprise package of the season. 136 runs and valuable wickets – his allround contribution at number five has been key to Punjab’s unbeaten run. A genuine edge in fantasy and a player opposition sides are still working out how to bowl at.

Aiden Markram (LSG) – LSG’s best performer this season leads the opposition D11 projections at 100.2. Projected 31.0 runs plus 1.0 wickets from 1.6 overs – his ability to provide balance at the top of the order and contribute with off-spin makes him LSG’s most important player in this format.

Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS) – Moved to Punjab this season and has been a handful. Projected at 2.5 wickets from 3.6 overs (96.2 D11), Chahal on the Mullanpur surface – where spin accounts for 40% of wickets – is a genuine match-winner. LSG’s batters will need a plan.

Verdict

Punjab are the real deal this season – four wins from four completed games is not a fluke when your bowling is this consistent. LSG have the batting firepower to threaten but their recent form gives little confidence. PBKS to win and make it five from five in completed matches, tightening their grip on top spot.

Bet Builder Angles

Build your bets using the Statz Cricket Bet Builder.