IPL 2026: LSG vs PBKS Match 68 – Who will be Impact Players for today’s match?

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) play host to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 68 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday, May 23, in what will be both sides’ final game of the league phase.

LSG have long been eliminated from the race to secure a playoff berth following their disappointing season. They are currently last in the points table with just four wins from 13 outings. 

PBKS, on the other hand, have been on a downward trajectory following their impressive start to the 2026 season. The 2025 finalists have suffered six consecutive defeats to find themselves fifth in the standings. They still have an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs, but they need other results to go their way.

In their respective previous matches, both LSG and PBKS had different takes on their usage of Impact Subs. The Super Giants opted to go with an additional bowler in Digvesh Rathi whilst defending a total. The Kings, on the other hand, went with Marcus Stoinis in the middle-order to give themselves an additional batter during their unsuccessful run chase against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

Predicted Impact Players for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG):

Digvesh Rathi: LSG’s designated Impact Player while defending a total, Digvesh Rathi has taken five wickets from nine matches this season. 

George Linde: The South African all-rounder has played three matches this season and could be used as an Impact Sub in either innings, with LSG only able to field three overseas players. 

Himmat Singh: 29-year-old Himmat Singh has played nine matches this season and has scored 92 runs. He has not featured for LSG since their game against CSK in Chennai.

Mukul Choudhary: Yet another batting option, Mukul Choudhary had a good start to the season, scoring 169 runs from nine matches at a strike-rate of 144.44.

Manimaran Siddharth: A spin-bowling option, Manimaran Siddharth has played four matches this season to take six wickets at an economy rate of 9.66.

Predicted Impact Players for Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Yuzvendra Chahal: An ideal player to use as an Impact Sub at the Ekana Stadium, Yuzvendra Chahal has taken 10 wickets in this season’s IPL. 

Musheer Khan: Musheer Khan has not played for PBKS this season but has found himself on the bench a few times. He has played just one professional T20 in his career.

Vishnu Vinod: A batting option off the bench, Vishnu Vinod has played just once this season, scoring an unbeaten 15 against MI in Dharamshala.

Vijaykumar Vyshak: One of PBKS’ best bowlers this season, Vijaykumar Vyshak has taken nine wickets from nine matches this season. 

Praveen Dubey: Praveen Dubey has not played a game for PBKS all season long, but remains a handy spin-bowling option, with a T20 economy rate of 7.26.

Expert Opinion and Final Prediction

• Home Advantage: Out of the six matches played in Lucknow this season, LSG have won only twice.  
• Recent Form: PBKS have won their last three encounters against LSG, including a win earlier this season. However, their current form in the IPL is not the best. 
• Balanced Side: Both sides have lacked balance in their sides recently, but LSG seem to have found their ideal XI in recent games. 
• Prediction: With these factors in their favour, expect a close game with the Lucknow Super Giants to end the season with a win.