Injury-hit Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings Look To Make Positive Start To IPL 2023

31.03.2023 - 11:57 sports.ndtv.com

Plagued by injuries and unavailability of a few foreign players, both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders would still look to put their best foot forward as they lock horns in their opening IPL encounter in Mohali on Saturday.

These are the two franchises, which over the years have flattered to deceive. Inconsistency in team selections seemed to have also affected the them badly.

While PBKS finished sixth, two-time champions KKR ended a rung below in the seventh spot in the 10-team competition last year.

Both teams will be led by new skippers this season. While veteran Shikhar Dhawan will be at the helm of Punjab, domestic star Nitish Rana has replaced injured Shreyas Iyer as KKR captain.

cricket Kolkata Knight Riders Jonny Bairstow Kagiso Rabada Liam Livingstone Shreyas Iyer Punjab Kings Sam Curran South Africa Zimbabwe county Kings Kolkata

Gujarat Titans roared back to winning ways with a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings after Mohit Sharma's excellent return to the IPL and Shubman Gill's 49-ball 67 on Thursday. Medium pacer Mohit marked his comeback with figures of 2/18 as holders GT restricted PBKS to 153 for eight. Playing in his first game in the league since 2020, Mohit was exceptional in the penultimate over, giving away as little as six runs. When their turn to bat came, Gill led the way with his fine half-century as GT completed the chase of 154 in 19.5 overs, four days after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. Having done duty as the team's net bowler last season, Mohit, who has also played for the Indian team including in the World Cup, mixed his pace and varied his lengths well throughout his spell.

Updated IPL 2023 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap List After PBKS vs GT Match: Gujarat Titans Rise To 3rd Spot

The Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans returned to winning ways as they beat Punjab Kings by six wickets in an IPL 2023 game on Thursday. Medium pacer Mohit marked his comeback with figures of 2/18 as holders GT restricted PBKS to 153 for eight. Then, Shubman Gill hit a half-century as he GT won the match in 19.5 overs. With the win, GT have climbed to the third spot with six points in four games (NRR +0.341). PBKS remain at the sixth spot with four points in four games (NRR -0.226). Rajasthan Royals continue to lead the table with six points in four games (NRR +1.588).

Yash Dayal, Who Was Hit For 5 Sixes By Rinku Singh, Dropped From Gujarat Titans' IPL 2023 Game Against Punjab Kings

Yash Dayal was dropped from the Gujarat Titans playing XI for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 encounter against Punjab Kings in Mohali on Thursday. The young pacer had a horrible outing in the previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders as Rinku Singh slammed him for five sixes in the final over to guide his team to victory. Dayal was replaced by Mohit Sharma who made his debut for the franchise. Skipper Hardik Pandya also made his return to the squad in place of Vijay Shankar.

High-Flying Kolkata Knight Riders Face SunRisers Hyderabad, Eye Hat-Trick Of Wins

On a high after Rinku Singh's phenomenal knock, Kolkata Knight Riders will be gunning for a hat-trick of victories when they face a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League at Eden Gardens on Friday. Having started off their campaign with a reversal against Punjab Kings at Mohali, KKR found two unlikely heroes in two matches to get their campaign up and running. First, it was Shardul Thakur's storm with the bat that took a star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore by surprise as the pace bowling allrounder's 29-ball 68 led KKR to their first win of the season, a dominant 81-run victory.

Gujarat Titans Predicted XI vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2023: Will Skipper Hardik Pandya Return To Steer GT?

After facing the wrath of Kolkata Knight Riders' Rinku Singh in their previous match, Gujarat Titans are all set to face Punjab Kings in their next IPL 2023 clash on Thursday in Mohali. Regular skipper Hardik Pandya had missed out on the match against KKR as he was unwell and his absence, spinner Rashid Khan took over the captaincy. KKR were chasing 205 and needed 29 off the last over, when Rinku Singh smashed five sixes off Yash Dayal and took his side a to a three-wicket win.

Updated IPL 2023 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap List After CSK vs RR Game: Rajasthan Royals Go Top

Rajasthan Royals went on top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 points table after a three-run win over Chennai Super Kings in an away match on Wednesday. Batting first, Rajasthan Royals scored 175/8. While chasing, CSK needed 21 off the last one over with MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease. However, CSK managed to reach 172/6 in 20 overs. After the match, RR became the no. 1 side with 6 points from four games (NRR +1.588) dislodging Lucknow Super Giants to the second place (6 points from 4 games, NRR +1.048). CSK remain at the fifth spot with 4 points from 4 games (NRR +0.225).