Punjab and KKR have new captains in order to try to reach the playoffs this year after finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, last season.
IPL 2023 openers for Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have some characteristics. Shikhar Dhawan and Trevor Bayliss for Punjab, and Nitish Rana and Chandrakant Pandit for KKR, both have new captains and coaches this year after unsuccessful seasons, albeit Kolkata’s leadership change was necessitated by Shreyas Iyer’s injury.
Key members of their squads are also absent. Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada, and Jonny Bairstow won’t be available for Punjab’s season-opening match. Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das are absent from KKR due to national duty.
Punjab has not appeared in the playoffs since 2014, but like last year, they have a promising start after making a record-breaking bid at the auction to acquire Sam Curran. In contrast, KKR had to assemble their team with the least budget after investing a significant amount of money in pre-auction deals to acquire Shardul Thakur and Lockie Ferguson.
Team News
Once Mayank Agarwal was released, one of Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, or Australia’s Matthew Short, along with Dhawan, would likely replace him as Punjab’s new opener.
Nathan Ellis, an Australian fast bowler, may replace Kagiso Rabada as the foreign fast bowler while Curran and Arshdeep Singh are anticipated to create a potent death-overs combo. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe might take Livingstone’s place as the all-rounder given his absence.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan or N Jagadeesan, who just set the record for the highest List-A score, may both open for KKR and serve as wicketkeepers as well.
Having recovered from a hamstring injury, Lockie Ferguson might replace Tim Southee as the foreign seamer, and Venkatesh Iyer’s strong performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Cup should help him. Varun Chakravarthy will compete for a spot alongside a teenage mystery spinner named Suyash Sharma, however it is unclear whether he has recovered enough fitness and form to do so.
Pitch & Weather Condition
The first IPL game to be held in Mohali since 2019 will take place there. The available bounce has made it historically a surface that favours pace. Overnight and on Saturday afternoon, rain is predicted.
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