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Short to continue, Chahar eyes Impact Player role: PBKS Dream11 Predictions vs LSG in IPL 2023
Matt Short is expected to be selected once again as PBKS face LSG in IPL 2023. Here is their likely XI.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on high flying Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on April 15. The Shikhar Dhawan-led side will hope to stop the rot against LSG after suffering two consecutive losses in their last two games.
PBKS have won two and lost two of their four matches in the ongoing IPL season. The Trevor Bayliss-coached outfit defeated Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals in their opening two matches before suffering their losses against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in subsequent games.
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With four points from four matches, the Punjab Kings are placed sixth in the IPL 2023 standings but currently have a negative net run-rate.
Captain Shikhar Dhawan has led from the front this season. He is the current top run-getter this season with 233 runs at a strike rate of 146, including a score of 99*, he was sent back to the dugout early for a rare failure this season in the last game. The PBKS hierarchy will want more from the other batters as Prabhsimran Singh is the second highest run-scorer for the franchise this season with only 83 runs, and he too has been dismissed for ducks in the last two games.
Matt Short (36 off 24) against GT showed that he could be an able replacement in the team until Liam Livingston is match fit again.
Even with the good form of Short the PBKS hierarchy will want Livingston to be match fit as soon as possible. The hard-hitting English batter has joined the PBKS camp and could make his comeback from injury in the next few games. In IPL 2022, Livingstone scored 437 runs in 14 matches at an explosive strike rate of 182. Besides his scintillating batting displays, he picked up six wickets at an economy of 8. Once fit Livingston could play in the starting XI alongside Short.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa who scored a half-century in the season opener, also returned from a muscle injury against GT but looked out of sorts with an unusually slow innings of 20 off 26.
Arshdeep Singh has picked up 7 wickets at an economy of 8, while Nathan Ellis has chipped in with 5 this season. The spinners have been underwhelming so far with Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar picking up only 3 wickets between them.
PBKS will hope for more from Sam Curran, the most expensive player in the history of the IPL. He has had an underwhelming season so far, scoring 71 runs in the four games and chipping in with just two wickets at an economy of almost 9.
Kagiso Rabada played his first game of the season against GT and returned figures of 36/1 in his four overs. Rabada picked up 23 wickets at an economy of 8 in IPL 2022. PBKS will hope that Rabada quickly gets into his stride again and forms a lethal partnership with Arshdeep to propel PBKS into the playoffs.
Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Mohit Rathee and Gurnoor Brar could all be options for the Impact player role.
Here’s PBKS’ likely XI vs LSG:
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh.
Top and Middle Order: Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
All-Rounders: Matt Short, Sam Curran.
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada.
Impact Player
PBKS have plenty of options for the Impact Player role, with Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar and Gurnoor Brar among them.
