IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's PBKS vs CSK match
Punjab Kings (PBKS) having a streak of five wins (one away from creating history) over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is one of the most absurd records in the IPL.
But it makes sense when you watch the previous game between them - only four days ago - in Chennai. It was the perfect example of how the Kings' excellent and underrated bowling combination just clicks versus the Superkings. The fringe bowlers find form, the match-ups fit well and the overs are used optimally.
The spinning track in Chepauk also helped PBKS last time and they'd hate that Sunday's game is a home fixture because they clinched just one out of five games in Mullanpur.
This match is in an alternate venue Dharamshala, though, which usually offers good batting wickets with a bit of help for pacers.
Below, we have considered all of it to predict three bowlers who could pick up the most wickets today:
#3 Matheesha Pathirana
After missing the last game due to a niggle and then flying out to Sri Lanka due to visa issues, Matheesha Pathirana is likely to be available for the Dharamshala clash. It automatically makes him one of the bowlers to watch out for.
The pacer has been CSK's best and most reliable bowler in IPL 2024 with 13 wickets in six matches at an average of six.
He hasn't gone even one match without picking at least one wicket and has been close to his best across pitch and ground conditions. Dharamshala would likely be no different.
Most PBKS batters haven't seen a lot of him in the IPL and won't find it easy to cope with his four overs in the middle overs.
#2 Kagiso Rabada
Right-arm pacer Kagiso Rabada was back to his best in Chepauk, a ground that was theoretically not supposed to suit him.
Sam Curran handed him the new ball and he breathed fire with a spell of 1/23. After three tough games, this might just bring Rabada back to the form he showed at the start of the season.
Rabada has a brilliant IPL record against CSK, picking nine wickets in as many matches against them at an average of 26.33 with a best spell of 3/26.
The last time Rabada played at Dharamshala, he picked up two key wickets against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Another fresh wicket would unlock him further, giving CSK's mostly out-of-form batters a big problem to deal with.
#1 Harpreet Brar
One of the most underappreciated spinners in IPL 2024, Harpreet Brar is a cheat code for spinning tracks.
His variation of pace and flight has been outfoxing batters for years and the Chepauk game just showed his true skills as he flummoxed Ajinkya Rahane and CSK's best player of spin this season, Shivam Dube, to record a Player-of-the-Match performance with figures of 2/17.
If PBKS are smart, they'll ask the Dharamshala curator to keep the wicket spin-friendly and allow their biggest match-winner to take charge. But even if it's not, CSK's unstable batting line-up would give him a good chance to continue his form.