The second game of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL 2023) between the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is scheduled for the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali during the 16th IPL season.
In the IPL’s history, PBKS and KKR have faced off against one another 30 times. In this rivalry, KKR has won more games (19), while PBKS has prevailed in 11 of them. This demonstrates unequivocally that KKR has triumphed in more games while PBKS has also succeeded in defeating some significant opponents in some crucial games.
In preparation for the IPL 2023 season, Punjab Kings made a lot of changes. Shikhar Dhawan is their new captain, and the team has undergone some significant changes. They have top-notch international options as well as some well-known Indian names. In their opening match of the IPL 2023 against KKR, PBKS would be the slight favourite to win.
KKR, on the other hand, won’t have their star player and captain Shreyas Iyer for at least the first game. In addition, Lockie Ferguson will also be sidelined for the PBKS game due to injury. The team’s chances against Punjab are severely hampered by the injuries to key players.
In contrast to past years, KKR’s team appears a little underwhelming this time around, and they are unquestionably not among the top contenders to take home the IPL 2023 trophy. Despite this, both teams have some of the top T20 players, and these players will do whatever it takes to help their team win.
IPL 2023: Let’s take a look at the three crucial player encounters that will be significant
- Andre Russell vs Rahul Chahar
Russell is regarded as one of the world’s most destructive batters. With his overwhelming strength, he can clean house on any bowler. Russell’s performance against spin and pace follows a distinct pattern. It will be interesting to see how Dhawan will use Chahar in this situation because he has struggled against wrist spinners in recent seasons.
Given the large boundaries of Mohali stadium, the Punjab Kings leg-spinner will be a threat to Russell as he has established himself as a proven wicket-taker. Although he hasn’t yet fired Russell, he has been able to control the number of goals he scores.
2. Sunil Narine vs Shikhar Dhawan
Sunil Narine has consistently shown he is one of the best players in the KKR lineup. Narine has all the tools necessary to outwit the batters because he is a skilled ball handler. He is a very dangerous bowler because of his mystery factor. Dhawan, on the other hand, has a history of scoring lots of runs in the IPL. He excels against both pacers and spinners.
Since their first matchup in 2013, Narine has only ever thrown out a left-handed batter twice. It will be crucial to pay attention to the match between Narine and Dhawan, the battle of the veterans, and IPL legends.
3. Varun Chakravarthy vs Liam Livingstone
Varun Chakravarthy, who had a bad season last year, will need to improve this year, and it will start with the very first game. The ball can be spun in both directions by the mysterious spinner. In orTo up to his reputation as a wicket-taker, Chakravarthy must deliver. Chakravarthy, the spin-twin of Narine, enjoys bowling to right-handers and will aim to get Liam Livingstone, the most explosive batter for PBKS, in the first game.
Livingstone scored six runs off of four balls without being dismissed in the previous meeting between these two in 2022. Livingstone is a known pace breaker who has some trouble against spin bowlers. The mystery of Chakravarthy versus Livingstone’s brute strength. An audience will enjoy watching this battle.
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