Preview: Punjab Kings to face Kolkata Knight Riders

Both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have new captains heading into the new season.

The second match of TATA IPL 2023 features a face-off between Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders. The start of this season for KKR is bittersweet, as their skipper, Shreyas Iyer, has been sidelined with an injury. This setback has resulted in Nitish Rana taking up the mantle of captaincy for KKR.

Meanwhile, PBKS is looking to kick off the season on a fresh note under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, who will lead the side this season. The team has made strategic player selections to cater to the specific requirements of the team.

Pitch Report

The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium pitch is ideal for batsmen, as it typically yields high-scoring matches. Batting second provides a significant advantage and can result in even higher scores. Given that the IPL is a T20I league, the pitch for this match is specifically designed for high-scoring games.

Teams News for Punjab Kings vs KKR

Punjab Kings may not be at their best for this match due to Liam Livingstone's injury and Kagiso Rabada's absence due to international duty with South Africa. Nevertheless, the team has a talented pool of overseas players to choose from for their opening game of IPL 2023. Jonny Bairstow, who was ruled out of the IPL, has been replaced by the dashing BBL sensation Matt Short.

Following the conclusion of their IT20 series against Ireland on Friday, Bangladesh's keeper-batter Litton Das and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will be unavailable for the upcoming match, leaving Kolkata Knight Riders without their valuable contributions. Additionally, the team's regular captain Shreyas Iyer, will miss this match and potentially more due to a lingering back injury.

Head to Head for Punjab Kings vs KKR

Matches: 30

Punjab Kings: 10

Kolkata Knight Riders: 20

Draws: 0

Player to Watch

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan

Given the inexperience of the domestic players on the PBKS team, Shikhar Dhawan plays a crucial role. As he has been absent from international cricket for some time, the captain of PBKS would be eager to make a strong start to his IPL season, particularly since he is also leading the team.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell

A lethal batsman, considered one of the best in the world, will be striving to assist his team against PBKS. He has consistently been a crucial player for KKR, with the team relying heavily on his performance. As Shreyas will be absent from the team, he will support Nitish Rana's captaincy as one of the senior members of the squad. It will be fascinating to see in which number he comes to bat.

Probable Playing XI

Punjab Kings Predicted Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matt Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh.

Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted Playing XI: Venkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), N Jagadeesan, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy.

Match Facts

In matches played in Mohali, KKR holds a 4-3 lead against PBKS.

In the previous 30 meetings, KKR has won 20 matches and PBKS 10.

Rahul Chahar took 2/13 against KKR last season. He has taken 11 wickets in seven games vs KKR

Live Broadcasting

IND: Star Sports Network (TV) | JioCinema (Live Streaming)

UK: DAZN, Sky Sports Network

AUS: Fox Sports, Kayo Sports

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