Punjab Kings come in with a new captain and a new coach yet again. Shikhar Dhawan takes the reins this time as Punjab looks to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. On the other side, KKR is struggling with injuries of their own as Shreyas Iyer misses out with a back injury leaving Nitish Rana to lead the side.
PBKS vs KKR Match Details
Date: April 1st, 2023
Time: 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Mohali
PBKS vs KKR Weather Report
Dry weather and a lot of heat are expected while dew could also play a role as the game progresses.
PBKS vs KKR Pitch Report
Big outfields and a flat pitch are usually what connects with the Mohali track. The same could be said about the upcoming game as well with Mohali good for sides batting second.
PBKS vs KKR Head-to-Head
Stats
Matches
KKR Won
PBKS Won
NR
Overall
30
20
10
0
At Mohali
7
4
3
0
In the last Five Matches
5
3
2
0
In 2022
1
1
0
0
PBKS vs KKR Predicted Playing XI
PBKS Playing XI
Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksha, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Shah Rukh Khan, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Sharma
Sikandar Raza finally gets an IPL deal. He has been in really good form over the last two years and deservedly got his call-up. Now, with Sikandar Raza likely to fight for his spot with Liam Livingstone, opportunities may be few and that will leave Raza with a lot to do.
Nitish Rana
Nitish Rana has been with the Knight Riders for a really long time and is a vital part of their line-up. Now, with an interesting turn of events, Rana will be leading the side. His batting form has been good over the last couple of years and it will be interesting to see what leadership does to his batting.
PBKS’s Top Five Batters Last Season
Players
Matches
Runs
Average
Shikhar Dhawan
14
460
38.33
Liam Livingstone
14
437
36.41
Jonny Bairstow
11
253
223
Jitesh Sharma
12
234
29.25
Bhanuka Rajapaksha
9
206
22.88
KKR’s Top Five Batters Last Season
Players
Matches
Runs
Average
Shreyas Iyer
14
401
30.84
Nitish Rana
14
361
26.22
Andre Russell
14
335
37.22
Venkatesh Iyer
12
182
16.54
Rinku Singh
7
174
34.22
PBKS’s Top Five Bowlers Last Season
Players
Matches
Wickets
Average
Kagiso Rabada
13
23
28
Rahul Chahar
14
14
26
Arshdeep Singh
14
10
38
Rishi Dhawan
6
6
26
Liam Livingstone
14
6
34
KKR’s Top Five Bowlers Last Season
Players
Matches
Wickets
Average
Andre Russell
14
17
17
Umesh Yadav
16
16
21
Tim Southee
13
14
19.64
Sunil Narine
14
9
34
Pat Cummins
5
7
31
PBKS vs KKR Rivalries to Watch out For
Arshdeep Singh vs Andre Russell: KKR’s premier finisher vs a death bowler who can nail yorkers with ease is a match-up to watch out for. They have only faced off for six deliveries with Andre Russell taking him for 16 runs and also getting out to him once.
PBKS vs KKR Match Tips
Both PBKS and KKR have injury concerns and new captains. Going by team balance PBKS look stronger still, but KKR is not a team to take likely, and with their impact players, they could create some surprises.