PBKS vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Match 2 of IPL 2023 Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Playing 11, Top Picks, Fantasy Cricket Tips

Punjab Kings go head to head against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2^nd match of the Indian Premier League at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on 1^st April, Saturday at 3:30 PM IST.

Punjab Kings under Mayank Agarwal had a mixed bag last season. Kings managed to seven games out of the fourteen they played, just wasn’t enough in the end to sneak into the playoffs as they finished sixth on the points table. Kings did well in the auction, went for Sam Curran for a hefty price and they now have a formidable line-up with him. Shikhar Dhawan has been given the captaincy responsibilities. Mayank Agarwal is no more with the franchise and that means Kings need to find someone of his stature. Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh holds the pace bowling onus for them.

Kolkata Knight Riders on the other hand, didn’t have a good tournament either, they finished at the seventh spot with just six wins in the entire tournament. Shreyas Iyer will be missing for most part of the tournament and that means Nitish Rana is their newfound captain for now. Once again, Knight Riders will heavily depend on their match winners like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine but the others must step up to make a mark this season.

PBKS vs KKR Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match

Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2^nd Match

01^st April, 3:30 PM IST

Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium

The 2^nd match of the Indian Premier League between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on 1st April at 3:30 PM IST.

Where to Watch PBKS vs KKR Live?

Indian Premier League will live stream on Jio Cinema app and website in India. The games will also be telecasted on Star Sports channels as well.

PCA Stadium Mohali Pitch Report

The pitch at Mohali used to aid the bowlers in recent years but in the last few years or so, it has become a belter for batting. Teams batting second have went on to chase big totals. Bowlers will need to bring their variations in a smarter way. Average first innings score is 183 and teams winning the toss usually opt to bowl first and try to restrict the opposition.

Team Form Guide:

PBKS (recent last): WLWLW
KKR (recent last): LWWLW

PBKS Playing 11

1. Matthew Short
2. Shikhar Dhawan (C)
3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa
4. Shahrukh Khan
5. Sikandar Raza
6. Jitesh Sharma (WK)
7. Rishi Dhawan
8. Sam Curran
9. Harpreet Brar
10. Rahul Chahar
11. Arshdeep Singh

Punjab Kings will be led by Shikhar Dhawan and Jitesh Sharma will don the gloves.
Punjab Kings were stuck by a huge blow before the start the season. Their prime overseas batter Jonny Bairstow will be missing out on the entire season.
Liam Livingstone will miss Punjab Kings’ season opener against KKR.
Kagiso Rabada will not be available for the initial games as he’s part of a national duty.
Jonny Bairstow has been replaced by Matthew Short. He’s expected to start from game one.

Sam Curran vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Sam Curran is a premium all-rounder and also the expensive player in IPL, he’s been effective both with bat and ball for England. Curran with his left-arm swing troubles the batters inside the powerplay. Curran does also hit some lusty blows coming down the order.

Last 5 performances in IPL	IPL Runs & Wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders	Runs & Wickets in IPL	IPL Runs & Wickets at Mohali	Captain or Vice captain choice
0-28 & 4, 1-15 & 12, 0-18 & 16, 2-26 & 2, 3-26 & 5	4 runs & 1 wicket	337 runs & 32 wickets	NA	✅

Shikhar Dhawan vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Shikhar Dhawan has been the mainstay of Punjab with the bat in the last few seasons. Dhawan gets his team off to a good start and once he gets in, he is surely go on to make it a big one for his team. Dhawan has been handed the responsibilities of leading the side and he likes to thrive under that.

Last 5 performances in IPL	IPL Runs against Kolkata Knight Riders	Runs in IPL	IPL Runs at Mohali	Captain or Vice captain choice
39, 19, 21, 12, 62	810 runs	6244 runs	460 runs	✅

KKR Playing 11

1. Venkatesh Iyer
2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz
3. Nitish Rana (C)
4. Andre Russell
5. Rinku Singh
6. Narayan Jagadeesan (WK)
7. Shardul Thakur
8. Sunil Narine
9. Umesh Yadav
10. Tim Southee
11. Varun Chakravarthy

Shreyas Iyer won’t be able to take part at least the first half of IPL due to back injury.
Nitish Rana will lead the KKR side during the absence of Iyer.

Andre Russell vs Punjab Kings

Andre Russell is the power hitter and has won plenty of games for Kolkata both with the bat and the ball. Russell is a crucial player down the order and he can turn the game around in a span of six balls and the same he’s capable of doing with the ball in hand as well.

Last 5 performances in IPL	IPL Runs and Wickets against Punjab Kings	IPL Runs and wickets	IPL Runs at Mohali	Captain or Vice captain choice
0-45 & 5, 3-22 & 49, 2-22 & 9, 2-22 & 45, DNB, DNB	331 runs & 15 wickets	2035 runs & 89 wickets	115 runs	✅

Sunil Narine vs Punjab Kings

Sunil Narine is another brilliant all-rounder that Kolkata has. Narine usually bats at the top of the order but only depending on the situation. Narine can take down any attack on his own with the bat. Narine is a tough bowler to pick and the batters usually bat through the overs to ensure there’s no damage done.

Last 5 performances in IPL	IPL Runs & Wickets against Punjab Kings	Runs & Wickets in IPL	IPL Runs & Wickets at Mohali	Captain or Vice captain choice
0-27 & 21, 1-34 & 1, 0-21 & 0, 1-20 & 22, 0-19 & 0	173 runs and 32 wickets	1025 runs and 152 wickets	19 runs & 9 wickets	✅

Who will win Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders match?

Both these teams have met 30 times in the last 14 seasons and Knight Riders have dominated the most by winning 20 of them.
Plenty of injury concerns for Knight Riders and they need to find the right balance with their newly found skipper.
Punjab have few of their players joining late but if they can win without them, it’ll be a bonus.

According to the Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders today match prediction, Punjab Kings are expected to get over the line and win this PBKS vs KKR Dream11 Prediction.