IPL 2023: Predicting 3 players who will score most runs in today's PBKS vs KKR match
The second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see Punjab Kings (PBKS) host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday, April 1.
Both teams missed out on a playoff spot last year and will look to come up with improved performances this year. However, PBKS will miss their star batter Jonny Bairstow after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) denied him a No Objection Certificate (NOC). KKR, on the other hand, will miss their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer for at least the first half of the season.
There will be a few more key personnel who will miss this game. Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada will be unavailable for PBKS, while the Bangladesh duo of Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan will not feature for KKR.
However, both teams have some quality players on their roasters, which makes this an interesting contest.
The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium is a high-scoring ground, with the average first-innings total being 168. With some experienced batters on each side, a run-fest is on the cards.
On that note, let's take a look at three players who could score the most runs in the PBKS vs KKR tie.
#1 Shikhar Dhawan
PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan is the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament after Virat Kohli, smashing 6244 runs in 206 runs at an average of 35.08.
The southpaw has had a few difficult months and was left out of the Indian ODI side recently. However, Dhawan is known to fight back when his back is against the wall.
He will hope to start the tournament on a good note and put himself back in the fray for a national selection with the ODI World Cup set to take place in India later this year.
#2 Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh has been with the KKR side for quite some time. However, he hasn't enjoyed a long run, playing only 17 matches.
The southpaw has been in decent form in the domestic season and also scored two fifties in the wamp-up games ahead of IPL 2023. Going by his recent form, Rinku could play a significant role in KKR's middle order.
The Kolkata think tank will hope that this pocket-sized dynamo will fire as they look to make a winning start to their IPL 2023 campaign.
#3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Sri Lankan-born Bhanuka Rajapaksa grabbed the limelight with some quickfire knocks for PBKS last year. With Bairstow missing, the southpaw will have additional responsibilities to bat for longer as the Punjab franchise has a relatively young middle order.
If he manages to remain unbeaten, there is a good chance that he might play a big knock against KKR.
Rajapaksa looked in decent touch at the business end of the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) and will hope to translate his form into the IPL.