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

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.

On paper, though, PBKS looks a tad more stronger than KKR. But Englishman Jonny Bairstow's absence will certainly leave a big void in Punjab's team composition.

Bairstow has been ruled out of the entire IPL as he continues to recover from a leg injury he had sustained while playing golf last September.

In Bairstow's place, PBKS has roped in BBL's player-of-the-tournament this season, Matthew Short who is expected to open the batting along side Dhawan.

Other key PBKS players, who will miss Saturday's game are hard-hitting all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who is yet to get clearance from the ECB, following a knee injury, and South African Kagiso Rabada who is on national duty.

PBKS squad is stacked with all-rounders, the most lethal among them being USD 2 million plus buy Sam Curran, who is more than handy with the bat and is a very fine death bowler.

Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza is another utility all-rounder PBKS could bank upon.

But they would depend on Dhawan and Short to provide consistency at the top. On the bowling front, PBKS would