After having an average IPL last year, both PBKs and KKR are back with a different equation of players this time. With the new skipper Nitish Rana, it is going to be a fresh season for KKR, whereas PBKS has got the experienced S Dhawan to captain the very well-balanced Punjab side.
Matches Played – 30
Punjab Kings Won – 10
Kolkata Knight Riders Won – 20
Date: 1/4/2023
Time: 3.30 PM IST
Venue: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
With the speed and bounce the pitch could offer it has always been a high scoring venue. And it is expected that it will remain the same for this game.
Since it is a good wicket to bat on, the team that chases the score will have the upper hand as the second innings will have a slight due factor affecting the bowlers’ grip. The opening batters will have a great go once they control the initial swinging stage.
Shikhar Dhawan(c) ,Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis
Venkatesh Iyer, N Jagadeesan (wk), Nitish Rana, Shakib Al Hasan, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
When the wicket is pacy and bouncy, Dhawan feels comfortable. It had been so in the previous IPL tournaments. It is also important to note that Dhawan is one of the top five best performer with the bat against KKR in previous IPL seasons.
Sam Curran needs no intro. He is the strike bowler of Punjab. With his hitting ability, the English all-rounder is highly valuable for the side.
Rana and Iyer who comes in top order for the KKR troop will find it absolutely exciting to play in such conditions.
Rajapaksa shouldn’t be missed for the blasting batting behavior of him. The Sri Lankan can bring in runs with excellent strike rate.
The Tamil Nadu sensation, Jagadeesan has controlled aggression in his batting. He has been waiting for his deserved chance for a long time now. With the form he is in, he will grab this opportunity with both his hands.
All three all rounders here are known for what they do often. Match winners. They got the major role with both batting and bowling. Let’s not miss them in their first game where they will be fresh.
Chahar with his accuracy and limited variations will have more options to pick wickets in the middle.
Singh’s new ball bowling will be more impressive as he has now bagged the international experience.
Thakur can’t be denied for what he could do. Undoubtedly he is more valuable in any sort of wicket.
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