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Predicted Playing Xi Of Punjab Kings For Match 21 Of Ipl 2023

Predicted Playing XI of Punjab Kings for Match 21 of IPL 2023

image-lgh313bv Punjab Kings (Source: AP Newsroom)

Lucknow Super Giants have their sights set on a hat-trick of wins as they prepare to lock horns with Punjab Kings in the 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Saturday, April 15 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Punjab Kings got off to a flying start in the tournament with two consecutive wins, but their fortunes took a massive turn for the worse with back-to-back defeats in their next two games. Their most recent defeat came against the Gujarat Titans, in a closely fought encounter that saw the Punjab Kings push the defending champions to their limits.

While the team's bowling has been top-notch in the tournament, their batting has been a major area of concern. With the exception of captain Shikhar Dhawan, who has been in great form and has been performing consistently, the rest of the batting unit has failed to deliver on several occasions.

With the match just around the corner, let's take a closer look at the expected playing XI for the Punjab Kings:

Openers: Shikhar Dhawan & Prabhsimran Singh

Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh will continue to open the batting for the Punjab Kings. Dhawan has been in exceptional form, having amassed the most runs in the tournament - 233 runs in four matches at an average of 116.50 and a strike rate of 146.54.

Prabhsimran Singh, on the other hand, may have struggled in his previous two innings, failing to score, but he has proven himself as a capable opener. In his first two matches, he contributed 83 runs to the team's score, making a positive impression.

Middle Order: Matthew Short, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran & Shahrukh Khan

image-lgh3wl11 Sam Curran (Source: AP Newsroom)

In the middle order, the Punjab Kings will rely on the experience of Matthew Short, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, and Shahrukh Khan. Short has already proved his worth in the last game against Gujarat Titans, scoring 36 runs off 24 balls amid batting collapse.

Meanwhile, the wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma is a brilliant player of spin and could make a significant impact on the spin-friendly pitch at the Ekana Stadium in the upcoming game.

Although there might be some risk involved, Shahrukh Khan is likely to bat in the middle order, while Sam Curran will also be looking to make a valuable contribution with the bat.

Bowlers: Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar & Arshdeep Singh

Punjab Kings boasts a formidable bowling attack with the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Sam Curran in their lineup. However, to succeed at this venue, experienced spinners are the key, and this is where their opponents, Lucknow Super Giants, have an advantage with Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra in their lineup.

To strengthen their bowling line-up at this venue, Punjab Kings could consider making a simple change by bringing in Sikandar Raza, who is capable of bowling spin and can complement Rahul Chahar in that department. Additionally, Harpreet Brar is another potential candidate for the team to consider for this game.