Ajit Karn
The first three games of IPL 2023 were filled with action and drama, as players displayed exhilarating play. In the first doubleheader of the Indian Premier League, Punjab Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders thanks to outstanding performances by Arshdeep Singh and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. In their inaugural home contest, the Lucknow Super Giants defeated the Delhi Capitals with ease. After IPL rookie Kyle Mayers displayed Caribbean calypso with his blitzkrieg at Ekana Sports Complex, England’s Mark Wood dominated the spotlight in the second doubleheader of the season with a five-wicket haul.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who shared a dressing room with Wood during the 2018 IPL, was extremely impressed by Wood’s performance with the ball in his first game for LSG.
Speaking on Star Sports, Harbhajan stated, “When he played in the TATA IPL for the first time in 2018, he did not have the accuracy that he displayed. However, he is a perfect bowler now and could be a game-changer for Lucknow.”
Former South African legend Jacques Kallis lauded Shikhar Dhawan and the Punjab Kings’ performance against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Speaking on Star Sports, Kallis said, “It was a great start for them. They haven’t had the best TATA IPLs in the past. It was nice of them to bring a performance like that against a good side. So they will take confidence from this and hopefully, they will go from strength to strength after this victory.”
On the second doubleheader day of the IPL, supporters will witness two highly-anticipated matches. In the first match on Super Sunday, the inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals will face the 2016 IPL champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Harbhajan Singh backed the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will play without their captain Aiden Markram.
Harbhajan Singh said, “I will bet on Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers. They have Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Yuzvendra Chahal. RR appears to be a well-balanced team. They appear to be a better team than SRH.”
In the second match of the day, the five-time champion Mumbai Indians will face the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore. Kallis also believes that M Chinnaswamy Stadium will be at its most exhilarating when Virat Kohli returns to his adopted home after 1427 days in the IPL.
“M Chinnaswamy is a noisy stadium, it’s a small ground. The opposition feels the pressure here as the crowd is on top of you. It’s tough for the visiting teams here. It’s great to have such passionate home fans. Hopefully, the wicket is good and we get to see a good contest. I can’t wait to watch this game,” Kallis said.
Also read: PBKS vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2023: PBKS Beat KKR By 7 Runs (DLS Method)
Harbhajan Singh agreed with Kallis that the match between RCB and MI was the greatest of the IPL 2023 thus far, stating that cricket fans could not have had a greater Sunday treat.
Speaking on Star Sports, Harbhajan said, “The RCB vs MI match will be the biggest match of the TATA IPL 2023 so far because two superstars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, will be facing off against each other. Add to that, the electrifying atmosphere at Chinnaswamy. It couldn’t get any better than this. Fans can’t afford to miss it as 200-plus runs can be scored in the first innings and it could be chased
