The Indian Premier League got underway on Friday and the second match of the IPL 2023 season takes place in the first part of a double header of action on Saturday when the Punjab Kings take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali.
These two sides flattered to deceive a little too much last season so they shouldn’t be short of motivation when starting out their campaign here. After poor campaigns a year ago you get the impression that an opening win would be very welcome for both.
Punjab Kings
The Punjab Kings gave off the impression that they didn’t really settle on a plan last season and the result of that has been a change in captain and coach. Trevor Bayliss has taken over as coach and Shikhar Dhawan as the captain. Bayliss teams tend to be very aggressive but they are clear in their identity so that looks like a really good appointment and Dhawan is the sort of calm head to implement that style on the pitch.
The problem for the Kings is that one of the kingpins they were hoping to build their team around in Jonny Bairstow is going to miss the tournament as he recovers from injury. Two more gun players miss here too in Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada so the backup players are going to need to step up to the plate. On paper at the minute Punjab look stronger with the ball than the bat and it will be interesting to see if that strength can serve its purpose.
Kolkata Knight Riders
I guess the big question over the Kolkata Knight Riders is whether last season was just a blip or whether their squad is aging and probably past their best. We might get an immediate answer to that question. They are another team who are under a new captain. Nitish Rana has been a good player for the Knight Riders but they will hope the burden of captaincy doesn’t hinder his batting as the runs he provides are vital.
Kolkata have done some decent work with their squad ahead of the season but there is still a bit of a reliance on Andre Russell and Sunil Narine to be the players of about five years ago if they are going to be deep in the mix. Varun Chakravarthy is another whose level dropped off a cliff last season and he’ll need to go well too. If they do then Kolkata could be a real force but if they are not on it, it is hard to see this not being a season of struggle unless they are prepared to drop underperforming star names.
Special Offer
Sign up for a Boylesports account and bet £10 to get up to £20 in free bets! Perfect offer for this series! Click the image below for this great offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware.
Key Players
Sam Curran was brilliant at the T20 World Cup and he could be the X-Factor for the Punjab Kings in this match. He could go up the order and give it a biff, especially against the Kolkata spinners, and he can bowl throughout the innings.
While Kolkata Knight Riders have made one or two good signings you still feel that if they are going to win this match then Andre Russell is going to need to deliver a performance, most likely with the bat, but anything with the ball will help too.
Betting
In an ideal world there would be another out and out batter available for the Punjab Kings but I still think they are the more settled side throughout both 20 overs and as such I will take them to win this match. The first thing I like about the Punjab Kings is that Shikhar Dhawan has captained in the Indian Premier League before. This is a huge tournament and that is a big thing. Nitish Rana does it for the first time here and might need a match or two to get going.
The other thing I like about the Punjab Kings is the fact that they have death bowling specialists which is something that on the face of it Kolkata Knight Riders are lacking. Arshdeep Singh has proven his class at the end of the innings and Nathan Ellis is one of the best closers going around and Sam Curran is an option too. A lot of IPL matches go down to the wire so having that extra prowess with the ball feels significant. If Punjab keep the West Indian pair of Narine and Russell relatively quiet I think they win this.
Tips
Back Punjab Kings to beat Kolkata Knight Riders for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023
