IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy teams for RR vs PBKS match
The Rajasthan Royals will take on the Punjab Kings in match 8 of Tata IPL 2023 on Wednesday, April 5, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. RR will play their home matches across two venues, with the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur hosting five games, while the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati will host two.
The last T20 played at this venue was a really high-scoring one between India and South Africa, with more than 450 runs scored over the two innings. While there's little idea what kind of surface the curators will serve up for this venue's IPL debut, there's no doubt both these sides have the players in their ranks to make an exciting game out of it.
Both RR and PBKS won their opening fixtures, with the Royals putting in the more convincing of performances. While they certainly have the edge over Shikhar Dhawan's side on paper, PBKS does have a habit of punching above their weight when you least expect them to.
This should be a very popular match for Dream11 contests, and on that note, let's look at some surprise Dream11 picks.
#3 Sikandar Raza (PBKS)
One of the most underrated all-rounders going around, it was a really happy moment to see Sikandar Raza getting picked up by the Punjab Kings at the IPL 2023 Auction. The Zimbabwe all-rounder also had a very impactful debut, picking up the crucial wicket of Nitish Rana, scoring some valuable runs, and taking three catches.
With Liam Livingstone not in PBKS' matchday squad, Raza should remain in the playing XI for the Punjab Kings and will get another opportunity to stake a claim for a permanent place in their first-choice XI. He's a solid batter capable of playing the big shots, and bats well against spin and pace alike.
His mystery spin will come in handy against RR's left-handers or even the right-handers for that matter. While he has somewhat been backed on Dream11, a player of his points potential should be considered as a captaincy pick for this match.
#2 Rahul Chahar (PBKS)
PBKS' wily leg spinner Rahul Chahar will have an important role to play if they want to stand any chance of beating the powerful Rajasthan Royals. Chahar came pretty late into the bowling attack for PBKS against KKR but gave them an important breakthrough of the dangerous Rinku Singh.
While he proved to be a bit expensive at times, Chahar was PBKS' strike bowler last season, picking up big wickets at crucial times in the match. He has a decent record against Jos Buttler, getting him out twice in the IPL. RR isn't a side that will hold back when batting, and when you go after someone like Rahul Chahar, there's a good chance he ends up with a haul of wickets.
On a batter-friendly surface, things could go either way, but if you want to take a calculated risk, Rahul Chahar should be one of your top picks.
#1 Devdutt Padikkal (RR)
It was a poor start to the tournament for RR's Devdutt Padikkal against SRH, with Umran Malik sending his off-stump cartwheeling. The southpaw, who usually walks into bat at No.3 or No.4 has really low ownership as a result. He could end up being a really powerful differential, with him having good match-ups against most PBKS bowlers.
Padikkal appears to have the edge over Sam Curran and Rahul Chahar, and in the absence of Kagiso Rabada, PBKS doesn't have any bowler who can really trouble him with express pace. Batting out of his natural opening position, Padikkal hasn't had the best of times at RR, but he has played a few impactful knocks that have swung the game RR's way.
On a fresh batting wicket, Padikkal could embrace his role in the team and play some fearless cricket. While his form in the IPL hasn't been great, Padikkal is one such player who's always capable of delivering the goods.