IPL 2023, KKR vs PBKS: Decoding the key player battles
Match 53 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see the tussle between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. Both teams have played 10 games so far with PBKS clinching five and KKR prevailing four times. This will be a reverse fixture of Match 2 which PBKS won by seven runs (DLS method). Here we look at the anticipated player battles.
Shikhar Dhawan vs Sunil Narine
Ace off-spinner Sunil Narine has dismissed Shikhar Dhawan twice in 15 IPL meetings. The PBKS skipper has accumulated 88 runs off 78 balls in this battle with the help of two boundaries and six maximums. Notably, Dhawan tends to be watchful against off-spinners as his IPL strike rate against them reads just 111.68. Narine has been conceding runs at 10.71 against southpaws this season.
Nitish Rana vs Rahul Chahar
As Nitish Rana bats in the middle order, he is likely to tackle Rahul Chahar in the middle overs. The leg-spinner has dismissed Rana twice in three IPL meetings. Rana has struggled against leggies in IPL as he strikes at just 119.03 against them. Though Chahar has dismissed just two lefties in six innings this season, his economy rate reads 6.36.
Liam Livingstone vs Varun Chakaravarthy
As Liam Livingstone scored a breathtaking 82* in his last outing, KKR would want to keep him quiet. Varun Chakravarthy, who has been sensational this season, can be brought on to tackle the England dasher. In overs between seven and 15 this season, Chakaravarthy has scalped eight wickets (ER: 7.82). Livingstone has been striking at 163.54 in IPL 2023.
Andre Russell vs Arshdeep Singh
Over the last couple of years, Arshdeep Singh has emerged as a dependable bowler in death overs. However, tackling Andre Russell in that phase would take some beating. The KKR star owns 16 runs off six deliveries against Arshdeep. The left-arm pacer has dismissed him once. Russell boasts an IPL strike rate of 193.08 in the final five overs.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
Kolkata's Eden Gardens, which is renowned for its batting-friendly surface, will host this duel on May 8. One could see a high-scoring game. Spinners will come into the match once the surface wears down. Overall, a competitive battle between bat and ball is expected. Star Sports Network will telecast the match, while fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema from 7:30pm IST onward.
