The 38th match of Tata IPL 2023 will be played between Punjab Kings and Lucknow SuperGiants, at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, Punjab.
PBKS vs LSG Overview
While LSG sit at number four despite losing three out of their seven games so far, PBKS are two positions below at number six even though they have the same number of points in their seven games as well. With only net run rate separating the two teams, a thrilling contest is anticipated on Friday night.
Current Form
Lucknow SuperGiants – L W L
Punjab Kings – W L W
Both sides have been very inconsistent this season. LSG come into this match on the back of an agonising defeat to defending champions Gujarat Titans where they failed to chase a meagre 136 by 7 runs at their home ground in Lucknow, while on the same day PBKS managed to sneak home against MI by 13 runs at the Wankhede in a high-scorer.
Head to Head
In the 2022 season, Lucknow prevailed over Punjab by 20 runs in a relatively low-scoring affair. However, in the clash between these two teams earlier this season, Punjab sealed a hard-fought two-wicket victory. It will be interesting to see who triumphs this time to have the edge over the other.
What to Expect?
The pitch is usually one that aids run-scoring with consistent true bounce, though it is dry and also assists spin-bowling under the sun. The square boundary is shorter on one side at 67 metres, while the straight boundary is long, around 74 metres.
In the three games played here this season, only once the chasing team has won when GT achieved a modest 154 in a night game, while scores above 170 have been successfully defended in hot day conditions. Being a night game, temperatures would be relatively cooler due to the cloudy weather, and chasing would be the preferred choice.
Team News
Punjab Kings
Regular skipper Shikhar Dhawan has missed the last three matches due to an injury, while there is also no update on Rabada’s status.
Bringing in Nathan Ellis would be a good move as his variations could be useful on a pitch more inclined towards batting.
Kyle Mayers struggles against left-arm pace in the powerplay, and Punjab happen to have two good ones in Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh. Prabhsimran / Arshdeep may again be expected to come in as impact substitute.
Probable Playing XI : Atharva Taide / Shikhar Dhawan, Matthew Short, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran [c], Jitesh Sharma [wk], Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh.
Lucknow Supergiants
Mark Wood has been out of the side for the last few games. LSG are yet to provide an update on his injury.
The spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi would fancy their chances against the fragile middle-order of Punjab, who have been known to crumble against quality spin in the middle-overs.
Krishnappa Gowtham can be swapped with Ayush Badoni as the impact player, depending on the toss. Quinton de Kock has two fifties in two IPL games at a healthy strike-rate at Mohali, though he is again expected to warm the bench as Kyle Mayers is in rich form.
Probable Playing XI : Kyle Mayers, KL Rahul [c], Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran [wk], Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan.
Fantasy Handbook
Must Have Players in Your Dream11 Team
- KL Rahul: The Lucknow skipper has been the leading run-scorer for his side this season with 262 runs from 7 games.
- Marcus Stoinis: The Aussie all-rounder has a batting strike-rate of more than 145 and has picked 4 wickets in his last 2 outings with the ball at an impressive economy of 6.85.
- Sam Curran: The Punjab all-rounder has been among the wickets along with handy runs in the lower-middle order. He took a 3-fer against LSG earlier this season.
Differential Picks
- Arshdeep Singh: The PBKS ace bowler has been brilliant at the death, and will be looking to make incisions into LSG’s middle and lower order with his variations.
- Nicholas Pooran: The explosive batter has been striking at 185.87 this season, and on a good batting surface can destroy any bowling attack.
- Jitesh Sharma: The PBKS finisher has scores of 41(27), 25 (7) leading into the game and has incredible six-hitting capability.
Ideal for Captain and Vice Captain (C & VC)
- KL Rahul : The opener has been consistent this season and will be looking to exploit the familiarity of the venue to score some big runs.
- Marcus Stoinis : The all-rounder has gathered some form and has 169 runs at Mohali while striking at 142.02. He also has the uncanny knack of breaking partnerships with the ball.
Ideal Dream 11 Team
Participants must include more batters as compared to bowlers, considering that this is a run-scoring venue. All-rounders will also have a big impact as they add depth in batting alongside a few handy overs with the ball. Differential picks can be included separately in multiple teams to enhance chances of winning.
The ideal combination would be –
Battsmen + Keepers : All-rounders : Bowlers = 5 : 3 : 3
Perfect Dream 11 Teams Today
Suggested Playing XI – No. 2 (Small Leagues and Head-to-Head) for PBKS vs LSG Dream11 Prediction Today Match and Dream11 Team:
Suggested Playing XI No. 2 (Grand Leagues) for PBKS vs LSG Dream11 Prediction Today Match and Dream11 Team:
Suggested Playing XI – No. 3 (Small Leagues and Head-to-Head) for PBKS vs LSG Dream11 Prediction Today Match and Dream11 Team:
