For the fourth time in its history, Punjab Kings achieved the remarkable feat of winning both of their opening matches in an IPL season, securing consecutive victories on the road during the league's 18th edition. Following a thrilling, high-scoring match against the Gujarat Titans last month, they triumphed over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday with a commanding eight-wicket victory, propelling them to the second position in the points table.

After the match at Ekana Stadium on Tuesday, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka approached PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, who had played a pivotal role with a match-winning fifty. The two shared a warm embrace and engaged in an extended conversation. This interaction raised concerns among fans on social media, with some speculating that Goenka might be attempting to persuade Iyer to leave Punjab and join Lucknow.

In the clash between the two highest record signings in IPL history, Rishabh Pant, who was acquired for INR 27 crore at last year's auction—25 lakhs more than Shreyas Iyer—found himself on the losing end. This marked Lucknow Super Giants' second defeat in three matches since the season commenced. Pant also faced another disappointing performance with the bat, scoring only two runs off five balls. To date, he has accumulated a mere 17 runs from 26 balls across three innings.

Following a conversation with Iyer, Goenka engaged Pant in a lively discussion reminiscent of the post-match dialogue after their first game, where Lucknow suffered a dramatic last-over loss to Delhi Capitals, raising concerns among fans about a potential repeat of the KL Rahul incident.

'Still assessing the home conditions...'

Pant believed that Lucknow fell short by at least 25 runs after Punjab successfully chased down the target of 172 with 22 balls remaining. He lamented that the loss of early wickets hindered their ability to achieve a larger total.

"The total we set was insufficient; we were 20-25 runs short, but that is part of the game. We are still evaluating the conditions at our home ground. It is always challenging to post a substantial total when early wickets are lost, but every player is making a concerted effort to advance the game. Our strategy was to create a slow wicket. I think the slower deliveries were gripping well. We need to learn from this match and progress. There are many positives to take away, but I cannot elaborate further," he stated during the post-match presentation.

Lucknow's next match will be at home against the Mumbai Indians on Friday.

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