Preview:
The Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders match was an exciting encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which took place on April 1, 2023 at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. The Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, and Kolkata Knight Riders are two popular franchises in the IPL, known for their competitive performances and strong fan bases. In this article the overview of the match between PK VS KKR, second match of TATA IPL 2023 will be discussed.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) started their 2023 campaign with a rain-affected win in a thrilling contest at Mohali. After being sent into bat by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Nitish Rana, PBKS set a formidable total of 191 on the board. The partnership of 86 runs between PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa was the turning point of the innings. This shifted the momentum in favor of PBKS. It was a promising sign for PBKS as all their batters got off to good starts.
Although KKR’s Umesh Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were economical. The rest of the bowlers struggled to contain the PBKS batsmen, conceding runs at over 10 runs per over. In response, KKR lost three wickets in the powerplay, making the going tough for them. Despite some lusty blows from skipper Nitish Rana, impact player Venkatesh Iyer, and Andre Russell, none of them could convert it into a big score, and KKR could only manage 146 runs, falling short by 7 runs (as per DLS method).
PBKS bowler Arshdeep Singh was the standout performer, picking up three out of the four top-order wickets, supported by tight bowling from spinners Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar from the other end. The win was crucial for PBKS, as they carried the winning momentum into their next contest. Overall, it was a hard-fought victory for PBKS, showcasing their batting depth, bowling skills, and ability to handle pressure in a rain-affected match. A win is a win, and PBKS would be looking to continue their winning form in the upcoming matches in the tournament.
Match Overview:
In Match 2 of the TATA IPL at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, Punjab Kings outplayed Kolkata Knight Riders, winning by 7 runs (via DLS method). PBKS set a formidable total of 191/5. All thanks to Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s aggressive half-century off 32 balls and Shikhar Dhawan’s composed 40 off 29 balls. Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for PBKS.
KKR had an early stroke of luck as Mandeep Singh survived a run-out chance in the first over. Rahmanullah Gurbaz then launched an attack with a massive six and a flicked four off Curran’s over. However, Mandeep’s luck ran out soon as he mistimed a pull straight to deep mid-wicket off Arshdeep’s very first ball. This resulted in his dismissal. Anukul Roy managed to hit a boundary. But he fell victim to Arshdeep three balls later, mistiming a pull shot to mid-wicket.
KKR tried to turn the tide by bringing in Venkatesh Iyer as their Impact Player to replace Varun Chakravarthy. However, their struggles continued as Nathan Ellis, playing only his second ball of the match, cleaned up Gurbaz for 22 runs. PBKS maintained their dominance and eventually secured the victory by 7 runs via the DLS method in the rain-affected match. Overall, it was a convincing win for PBKS, highlighted by Rajapaksa’s aggressive batting and Arshdeep’s excellent bowling performance.
Iyer alleviated some pressure by smashing consecutive fours off Sikandar Raza, propelling KKR to 46/3 at the end of the Powerplay. Captain Nitish Rana kept the scoreboard ticking by hitting a couple of fours and a six, along with Iyer, collecting 10 runs off Raza and 15 runs from the Rishi Dhawan over.
However, Sikandar Raza broke the partnership against the run of play, as he had Rana (24) caught at backward point. KKR lost another wicket as Rahul Chahar sent back Rinku Singh with his first ball, a well-executed googly, which pegged KKR back. With the run-rate creeping up, Russell adopted an aggressive approach, hitting 20 runs off 11 balls. However, he got a reprieve when he top-edged a pull off Ellis, but the fielder Prabhsimran Singh dropped the catch. Iyer then capitalized on a Free-Hit ball from Ellis, smacking it for a six. This resulted in the dramatic over costing PBKS 18 runs.
Arshdeep returned and claimed Iyer’s wicket with a well-directed short ball, resulting in a catch at backward point. Narine followed up with a powerful six off his second ball. However, soon after, heavy rain started pouring down, forcing the match to be abandoned as no further play was possible. At the time of interruption, KKR were trailing by seven runs according to the DLS par.
KKR captain Nitish Rana won the toss and chose to bowl. Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz made his IPL debut. Additionally, KKR named Suyash Sharma, Vaibhav Arora, N Jagadeesan, Venkatesh Iyer, and David Wiese as substitutes. On the other hand, PBKS gave debut to Sikandar Raza and named Rishi Dhawan, Atharva Taide, Matthew Short, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, and Mohit Rathee as their substitutes.
Prabhsimran Singh, the opener for PBKS, launched into an aggressive mode from the very beginning. He flicked Umesh Yadav’s fourth ball of the innings over deep backward square leg for a six, collecting 9 runs in the first over. In the next over, Prabhsimran continued his assault on Southee. He powerfully whipped Southee’s first ball to fine leg for a four. He then charged down the ground and smashed consecutive fours wide of mid off, and then hammered one over deep mid-wicket for a six. However, Southee ultimately had the last laugh, catching Prabhsimran behind with a leg-side delivery off the final ball of the over.
Shikhar Dhawan found his groove after a quiet over from Umesh Yadav, slashing consecutive fours through covers. Bhanuka Rajapaksa wasted no time in attacking Sunil Narine. Lofting a couple of fours and then hammering a six straight down the ground, accumulating 14 runs off the over.
At the end of six overs, PBKS reached their highest powerplay score against KKR at 56/1. Rajapaksa continued his assault, hitting Shardul Thakur for a four and a six.
In the innings break, PBKS brought on Rishi Dhawan as the impact player, replacing Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Overall, PBKS had a start-stop finish with Raza and Curran accelerating, but Narine’s brilliant over halted their momentum. The late contributions from Khan and Curran helped PBKS reach a competitive total of 191/5. They scored 48/1 scored in the last five overs. KKR’s top performers with the ball were Chakravarthy and Yadav. Dhawan was introduced as the impact player for PBKS during the innings break, replacing Rajapaksa. Overall, the match saw PBKS making strategic changes and KKR’s bowlers putting up a strong performance. The match concluded with PBKS setting a challenging total for KKR to chase. PBKS finished their innings with a flourish. Thanks to the late surge provided by Khan and Curran, adding valuable runs in the final overs.
Overview for the Player of the match: Arshdeep Singh.
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