Lucknow, April 15 : Stand-in captain Sam Curran and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada picked 3-31 and 2-34 respectively as Punjab Kings restricted Lucknow Super Giants to 159/8 in 20 overs in Match 21 of IPL 2023 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Saturday. For Lucknow, captain K.L. Rahul top-scored with 74 off 56 balls in an innings during which he was unable to attack as wickets fell from the other end. Lucknow had 49/0 in Power-play but made only 62/4 in middle overs and faltered in the end as Punjab picked four wickets while conceding only 48 runs in the last five overs. With dew setting in, Punjab are in an advantageous position at the halfway mark. On a greenish pitch with some bare patches, Kyle Mayers began by sweeping Matt Short for a six over deep backward square leg. Arshdeep Singh got some good bounce while Rabada hit Rahul on his gloves. Rahul then replied with a stunning lofted inside-out drive over extra cover for four. Mayers cut the slowdown effect by lofting a short and wide ball from Curran over cover point for six, followed by pulling Rabada high over the deep mid-wicket fence for the same result. In a bid to break free from dot-ball pressure, Mayers went for the pull but holed out to deep backward square leg off Brar. In the next over, Deepak Hooda was trapped lbw by a skiddy delivery from Sikandar Raza while going for an expansive slog. With the pitch offering a hint of turn and grip to spinners, Rahul went for strike-rotation alongside Krunal Pandya while cutting off Curran past short third and slapping Arshdeep over mid-on to collect a brace of boundaries. Rahul got his fifty in 40 balls with a lofted drive over Rahul Chahar's head for four. But Krunal fell in the 15th over to Rabada, miscuing a pull and Shahrukh Khan at deep mid-wicket flicked the ball in the air, went outside the field of play and took the catch on the rebound. Rabada struck another blow when Nicholas Pooran holed out to deep mid-wicket, falling for a golden duck. Marcus Stoinis teed off by smacking Chahar for consecutive sixes, followed by Rahul cutting Rabada over deep point for another maximum. Curran took out Stoinis in the 18th over by taking a review on the batter trying to help through fine leg, and replays showed the ball taking a glove edge behind to the keeper. Rahul ramped Arshdeep over short third for four, before holing out to long-on in the 19th over. Curran had impact player K. Gowtham and debutant Yudhvir Singh Charak holing out to fielders in the deep on consecutive deliveries in the final over to keep Lucknow to one short of 160. Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants 159/8 in 20 overs (K.L. Rahul 74, Kyle Mayers 29; Sam Curran 3-31, Kagiso Rabada 2-34) against Punjab Kings /IANS