Ajit Karn
Both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders would still try to put forth their best effort when they square off in their first IPL match on Saturday in Mohali, despite being plagued by injuries and the absence of a few foreign players. These are the two franchises that, over the years, have deceived by flattery. Inconsistency in squad selections appeared to have also negatively influenced them.
While PBKS finished sixth in the 10-team competition last year, two-time champions KKR finished one rung lower in seventh. This season, both teams will be commanded by new captains. While veteran Shikhar Dhawan will lead Punjab, domestic sensation Nitish Rana will lead KKR in lieu of the injured Shreyas Iyer.
On paper, PBKS appears slightly stronger than KKR. However, the absence of Englishman Jonny Bairstow will create a void in Punjab’s lineup.
Bairstow has been ruled out for the duration of the IPL as he continues to rehabilitate from a leg injury he sustained last September while playing golf.
In lieu of Bairstow, PBKS has recruited this season’s BBL Player of the Tournament, Matthew Short, who is expected to open the proceedings with Dhawan.
Other significant PBKS players who will miss Saturday’s encounter are Liam Livingstone, who is still awaiting clearance from the ECB for a knee injury, and Kagiso Rabada, who is on national duty for South Africa.
The PBKS squad is loaded with all-rounders, the most lethal of which is Sam Curran, who was purchased for more than $2 million and is an excellent death bowler.
Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe is another utility player PBKS can count on.
However, they would rely on Dhawan and Short for consistency up top. On the bowling front, PBKS would be without Rabada on Saturday, leaving Arshdeep Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Curran, and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar to shoulder the load.
During the season, the Mohali-based team would also rely on coach Trevor Bayliss’ tactical acumen to escape their reputation as perennial underachievers.
Within the last 15 years, PBKS has never won the IPL. The closest they came was a final appearance in 2014 and a loss in the semi-finals in their inaugural season.
For two-time champions KKR, new coach Chandrakant Pandit will be the pivotal figure, as it is now common knowledge that he and Mumbai legend Abhishek Nayar will make all decisions from the dugout, with Rana’s sole responsibility being to implement them.
Shreyas, the regular captain and batting cornerstone for KKR, is close to being declared out of the tournament due to a back injury.
Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das of Bangladesh will also miss the inaugural match due to national obligations.
The all-rounders of KKR, including Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, David Weise, Vernkatesh Iyer, and Shakib Al Hasan, contribute to the team’s strength.
Tim Southee and Lockie Fergusson have joined the KKR roster, but the latter is questionable to play on Saturday due to a hamstring injury he sustained last week.
Uncertainty in the top order is KKR’s greatest vulnerability, and it remains to be seen who will anchor the innings.
On any given day, Wiese, Rinku Singh, and the Afghan Rahmanullah Gurbaz are formidable hard-hitters who can help KKR to victory.
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Southee and Umesh Yadav will spearhead the bowling attack alongside Shardul Thakur and Varun Chakravarthy.
Squads (for 1st match): Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Raj Bawa, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, M Shahrukh Khan, J
