Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 30. The team incurred a humiliating defeat at the hands of LSG in their last game and will look to set things right against CSK. PBKS have won four and lost four of their eight matches in the ongoing IPL season and are currently eighth on the points table. The Trevor Bayliss-coached outfit defeated Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals in their opening two matches before suffering two losses against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in subsequent games. Then PBKS defeated LSG in a hard-fought encounter by two wickets in Lucknow. PBKS then lost to RCB in Mohali but bounced back strongly to defeat MI at the Wankhede. Last time out, PBKS suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of LSG.
A hapless PBKS attack watched on in despair as Kyle Mayers’ brisk fifty and brutal power-hitting from Ayush Badoni and Marcus Stoinis took LSG to a seemingly insurmountable first-innings score of 257/5 on a belter of a wicket. The second-highest team total ever in the IPL. PBKS did score 201 in reply but were always chasing a lost cause after the first innings.
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Captain Shikhar Dhawan has scored 234 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 145 so far this season. He returned to the side against LSG after missing the last few games with injury. The team is heavily reliant on the skipper as even after missing a few games he is still the top run-getter for the side by a margin. PBKS will want their talismanic captain to regain his pre-injury form as soon as possible to help them move up the table.
Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma have scored 168 and 169 runs so far respectively. Sam Curran has chipped in with 163 runs having scored one half-century so far this season. Atharva Taide scored his maiden half-century in the IPL against LSG and is expected to continue in the line-up instead of Prabhsimran Singh. Sikandar Raza replaced Short in the last game and he is also expected to continue in the starting eleven against CSK.
{{/usCountry}}Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma have scored 168 and 169 runs so far respectively. Sam Curran has chipped in with 163 runs having scored one half-century so far this season. Atharva Taide scored his maiden half-century in the IPL against LSG and is expected to continue in the line-up instead of Prabhsimran Singh. Sikandar Raza replaced Short in the last game and he is also expected to continue in the starting eleven against CSK.
{{/usCountry}}Arshdeep Singh has picked up fourteen wickets this season, while Nathan Ellis has chipped in with seven wickets so far. Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar have also chipped in with eleven wickets between them. Sam Curran has also picked up six wickets so far. Both Arshdeep and Rabada conceded more than 50 runs against LSG. Ellis could replace Rabada in the line-up against CSK. Harpreet Brar is also expected to return to the line-up in place of Gurnoor Brar as the Chepauk pitch favours spin over seam.
Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Mohit Rathee, Harpreet Bhatia, Prabhsimran Singh and Gurnoor Brar could all be options for the Impact player role.
PBKS’ likely XI vs CSK:
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Atharva Taide.
Top and Middle Order: Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk).
All-Rounders: Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Liam Livingston.
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis.
Impact Player
For Impact Player, PBKS will rely on Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Mohit Rathee, Harpreet Bhatia, Prabhsimran Singh and Gurnoor Brar.