PBKS vs LSG Match Preview
Despite missing the services of their star batsman and skipper Shikhar Dhawan, the Kings put up a brilliant batting performance to put up a massive total of 214 against MI.
The team got a decent start but it was a 92-run partnership between Harpreet Singh and Sam Curran for the 5th wicket that set the tone, while Jitesh Sharma played a brilliant cameo of 25 runs from just 7 deliveries to give the team a final push.
Liam Livingstone had had a quiet few matches but do not underestimate him. He is someone who is capable of playing a match-winning inning or even pick up crucial wickets his both-ways spin. We also think that PBKS should seriously consider bring back Bhanuka Rajapaksa in place of Matt Short.
We think Jitesh Sharma is doing a massive job as a finisher and looks ready to make the step up to international cricket. There is plenty of power in the PBKS batting lineup.
Arshdeep Singh will once again lead the new-ball attack and will have Nathan Ellis supporting him at the other end. Arshdeep has been pretty consistent even at the death overs and has claimed 13 wickets so far.
Kyle Mayers and KL Rahul have given the team some solid starts, there have been some criticisms about Rahul’s batting as he has batted excruciatingly slow even on good batting surfaces. His aggregate strike rate this season is just 113.91 and that tends to put pressure on the lower-order batsmen to score at a faster pace to compensate.
They do have some players who are capable of playing the big hits but the batting order seems to have been an issue. LSG keeps holding back its best batters to try and take the game deep instead of actually trying to get ahead of the required rate.
Krunal Pandya, Nicolas Pooran, and Marcus Stoinis have all been rather inconsistent. Ayush Badoni and Deepak Hooda have struggled too.
The bowling for the LSG has been inconsistent as well. Mark Wood has been the pick of the bowlers with 11 wickets from just 4 matches. His fitness hasn’t been the best and in his absence, Avesh Khan, Marcus Stoinis, and Krunal Pandya have struggled. The team has brought in Naveen ul-Haq as his replacement. While he has bowled some tight spells, he hasn’t been able to take wickets with the same frequency.
Weather Report
Anything over 180 will be tricky to chase here. The weather will remain clear with temperatures of between 25-30 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Mohali is good to bat on and the batsmen will find it easy to play their shots. That said, the spinners are likely to see some turn as the match progresses and the quicker bowlers will see some movement too. The outfield is big and big hits are not the easiest, especially if the playing surface is towards the centre of the square.
Notable stats
Naveen ul-Haq's Excellent Bowling
Naveen ul-Haq has played T20 cricket for various leagues around the world and has been pretty consistent with the ball. He has picked up 161 wickets in 134 matches and has a bowling strike rate of 17.40.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Mark Wood are carrying niggles but could be available for this match.
PBKS vs LSG Probable 11
PBKS Playing 11
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Atharva Taide
- Matthew Short
- Jitesh Sharma (Wk)
- Sam Curran (C)
- Harpreet Brar
- Harpreet Singh
- Shahrukh Khan
- Rahul Chahar
- Arshdeep Singh
- Liam Livingstone
LSG Playing 11
- KL Rahul (C)
- Kyle Mayers
- Deepak Hooda
- Marcus Stoinis
- Nicholas Pooran (Wk)
- Krunal Pandya
- Ayush Badoni
- Naveen ul-Haq
- Amit Mishra
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Avesh Khan
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Punjab Kings to win here. Looking at their performance in the last match, most of their top and middle-order batsmen are in good touch. They have a good pace attack and playing under home conditions will be a bonus.
Top Picks
Kyle Mayers: Mayers has been a great find for the Lucknow Super Giants this season. He has scored a total of 243 runs including 3 half-centuries and has an impressive strike rate of 150.93. His bowling has not really come into the picture so far but that could soon be an added bonus for people that have him in their Dream11 teams.
Sam Curran: Sam Curran finally seems to be living up to his bill as he scored an excellent half-century in the last match. Back on home turf, we expect him to put up a good all-round performance here.
Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep Singh is the Punjab Kings’ top bowler this season with 13 wickets. He has picked up 5 wickets in his 3 matches at Mohali this season and is pretty economical too.
PBKS vs LSG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Sharma, P Singh
Batters: L Rahul
All-rounders: L Livingstone, S Curran (C), M Stoinis, K Pandya, K Mayers (VC), M Short
Bowlers: A Singh, R Bishnoi
