IPL 2023, PBKS vs KKR preview: Who will win the battle of unpredictables?

The unavailability of Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das for the first few games might make Coach Chandrakant Pandit tweak his initial plans. Punjab, however, have no such problems

Two teams without their original captains in their squads will collide with each other in their first ever match in the new season of the Indian Premier League. The Punjab Kings appointed Shikhar Dhawan as their skipper after Mayank Agarwal was shown the door last season. Kolkata Knight Riders have given the responsibility of leadership to Nitish Rana in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who is out injured. 

With the new leadership in charge, the look and feel of the teams also seems to have changed with Sam Curran and Sikandar Raza coming into in the Punjab setup, and Kolkata releasing Pat Cummins and bringing in Lockey Ferguson in the pace battery. David Wiese, as an all-rounder, is also a bonus. However, the unavailability of Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das for the first few games might make Coach Chandrakant Pandit tweak his initial plans. 

GT vs CSK, IPL 2023 Match Details

Match Number- 02

Series- Indian Premier League 2023

Date: Saturday, April 01, 2023

Time: 03:30 PM IST

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali 

Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Pitch Report

The Punjab wicket, with its wide boundaries, is one of the few grounds in India which offers a true bounce. With stands not very high, the air comes through and provides help to swing bowlers early on. However, because of the bounce, on the rise shots are also possible. A cracking game is in store if both teams play to their potential. 

PBKS vs KKR: Mohali Weather Report

The conditions at the PCA Stadium will be moist and damp given its exposure to rains in the past few days. There is also a possibility of rain today at around 5 pm IST and it will factor into the captains' decision post toss. 

Punjab Kings playing combination

Without the availability of Jonny Bairstow, Punjab have imported Matthew Short, the recent Big Bash League sensation. He is sure to get a place in the playing 11 thanks to his form. He and Dhawan will open the innings and Bhanuka Rajapaksa will be slotted in at number three. Raza and Curran will be the other two foreigners in the playing 11. 

As for bowlers, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan and Rahul Chahar will be helped by Raza and Curran to give a lot of options to the captain. Nathan Ellis will most likely be used as impact player in place of Bhanuka Rajapaksa or vice versa, depending on whether Punjab are batting first or bowling. 

PBKS predicted playing 11

Shikhar Dhawan, Matthew Short, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sikandar Raza, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

Impact Substitute options: Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Bhatia, Prabhsimran Singh, Raj Angad Bawa, Baltej Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders playing combination

The Kolkata Knight Riders would most likely go with Lockie Ferguson, David Weise, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine as the four foreigners with Ferguson being alternated as impact player alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz. 

Among the seven Indian players, the Knight Riders could choose Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav and Narayan Jagadeesan. 

KKR predicted playing 11

Venkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh,  Narayan Jagadeesan, David Weise, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav

Impact Substitute options: Lockie Ferguson, Harshit Rana, Mandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Kulwant Khejroliya

PBKS vs KKR, IPL 2023 Live Streaming and Broadcast

The match between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight  Riders can be live streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website subscription free. It can also be viewed on the TV sets at the Star Sports network.