The China Mail - Pant woes continue as Lucknow lose to Punjab in IPL

Opener Prabhsimran Singh struck 91 off 48 balls to steer Punjab to 236-5, helped by several impressive cameos at the Kings' second home in Dharamsala.

Arshdeep Singh then returned brilliant figures of 3-16 as Lucknow could only make 199-7 in reply. Pant fell for a 17-ball 18 in another failure for the India star.

Pant, who was snapped up by LSG for a record price of $3.21 million in the November auction, could not find any fluency during his stay despite hitting two fours and one six.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has mustered only 128 runs from 10 innings this season.

Lucknow sit seventh in the table, four points outside the fourth and final play-off spot with three games remaining.

Punjab climbed to second behind leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru after their seventh win of the campaign.

Lucknow were never in their chase after left-arm seamer Arshdeep struck twice in the space of four balls in his second over to send back Mitchell Marsh, for a duck, and then Aiden Markram, for 13.

He dismissed the dangerous Nicholas Pooran for six before Pant attempted to rebuild in a scratchy innings that was ended by Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai.

Omarzai soon sent back David Miller for 11 to put Lucknow in further trouble at 73-5.

Ayush Badoni, who top-scored with 74, and Abdul Samad, who hit 45, put on a valiant stand of 81 but could only reduce the margin of defeat.

Earlier, Australia's Josh Inglis, who hammered a quick 30, and Prabhsimran lay the foundations for Punjab's imposing total with a second-wicket partnership of 48.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer took charge after Inglis' departure and made 45 in a partnership of 78 with Prabhsimran, who survived a dropped catch by Pooran when on 21.

Leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi denied Prabhsimran a century, but Shashank Singh, who struck an unbeaten 33, and Marcus Stoinis, who made 15 not out off five balls, ensured Punjab finished strongly.

Q.Yam--ThChM