PBKS start IPL 2023 with a win over KKR in a rain-affected game
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season got underway with the Kings from Punjab taking on the Knight Riders from Kolkata in a much-awaited clash. Both teams were looking to make a strong start to their campaign, having finished in the bottom half of the points table in the previous season. A change in leadership was also a common theme for the two sides, with Shikhar Dhawan taking over the reins for PBKS, while Nitish Rana led KKR in the absence of the injured Shreyas Iyer.
KKR, having won the toss, elected to field first on a pitch that looked to be even for teams batting first or second. The pitch, according to former West Indian cricketer Daren Ganga, was light brown in color, hard, and had a good covering of grass. The dimensions of the ground were unique, with the eastern boundary being the larger of the two, measuring 72 meters in distance and also against the wind.
PBKS started their innings aggressively, with openers Liam Livingstone and Mayank Agarwal hitting some lusty blows. However, both were dismissed in quick succession, bringing Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa to the crease. The pair put together a crucial partnership of 86 runs, which shifted the momentum in favor of PBKS. Dhawan played a captain’s knock, scoring 67 runs off 42 balls, while Rajapaksa contributed with a quickfire 44 off 22 balls.
PBKS finished their innings with a challenging total of 191 runs for the loss of five wickets. The KKR bowlers, apart from Umesh Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, were expensive, with the rest of the bowlers conceding more than 10 runs per over.
In response, KKR got off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets in the powerplay. However, skipper Nitish Rana and impact player Venkatesh Iyer tried to bring their team back into the game with some aggressive stroke play. Iyer, in particular, hit some huge sixes, but fell soon after for a quickfire 28 off 12 balls.
Andre Russell also played a brief cameo, scoring 23 runs off 14 balls, but failed to convert it into a big score. None of the KKR batsmen went on to play a match-winning innings, resulting in KKR managing only 146 runs for the loss of six wickets. The PBKS bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh, were clinical and picked up wickets at crucial intervals. Arshdeep, Rahul Chahar, and Harpreet Brar were economical and bowled tight overs, not allowing the KKR batsmen to score freely.
PBKS won the rain-affected game by 7 runs, as per the DLS method, and started their campaign on a winning note. The win was crucial for PBKS, who would be looking to reverse their fortunes this season after finishing in the bottom half of the table in the previous season.
The PBKS skipper, Shikhar Dhawan, was pleased with the team’s performance and said that they would look to carry the winning momentum into their next game. Dhawan was also happy with the team’s balance, which includes experienced bowlers like Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh, and young Indian bowlers like Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar.
Nitish Rana, on the other hand, admitted that the KKR batsmen failed to judge the wicket and fell short of the target. He also defended his decision to go with the five main Nitish Rana, the KKR captain, said that they misread the pitch and misjudged the target. He also said that the team needs to rectify their mistakes and come back stronger in the next game.
In conclusion, the first match of IPL 2023 between PBKS and KKR was an exciting contest. PBKS put up a good total on board, and their bowlers were able to defend it. KKR’s batsmen tried to chase down the target, but they fell short in the end. Both teams would have learned a lot from this match and would look to improve in the upcoming games. The Impact Player Rule can be a game-changer in this tournament, and teams would want to use it to their advantage.