3 reasons why PBKS might have a tough campaign again in IPL 2023

In yet another last-over thriller, the Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets on Thursday, April 13 to make it three wins in four for the defending champions. The game went down to the wire, with PBKS bowlers keeping things very tight in the second-half of the second innings.

After electing to bowl first, GT did well to restrict PBKS to 153/8. The PBKS first-innings total was largely powered by quick-fire cameos from Shahrukh Khan (22 runs off 9 balls) and Matt Short (36 runs off 24 balls). For GT, the star with the ball was the returning Mohit Sharma (4-0-18-2) who had a dream comeback.

In reply, GT got off to a solid start, posting 89/2 in 11.2 overs. The architect of the chase was Shubman Gill (67 runs off 49 balls) who struck a composed half-century and batted till the very last over.

A few tight overs in the last 10 overs of the match meant that GT, who looked set for a comfortable win, had to struggle at the end with four runs needed off the last two balls. Rahul Tewatia yet again dealt the finishing blow against PBKS, striking the winning boundary off the penultimate delivery of the match.

After a bright start to the 2023 season, PBKS suffered their second consecutive defeat on Thursday. On that note, here are three reasons why PBKS might have a tough IPL season yet again:

#1 Overreliance on Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan has led from the front with the bat this season and is the current holder of the Orange Cap with 233 runs in four matches. He has been dismissed only twice in the competition so far, meaning he has an excellent average of 116.5.

While Dhawan's excellent form is a great sign for PBKS, they are clearly extremely reliant on the southpaw. In their third game of the season against SRH, he scored 99 out of their 143 runs.

Dhawan scored only eight runs against the Titans and as a result, PBKS could only manage 153 runs in their 20 overs.

The team's middle-order will need to step up in the upcoming matches if they are to have a shot at making the playoffs. Liam Livingstone's addition to the squad should add some solidity to the PBKS middle-order, but other players like Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma and Shahrukh Khan need to perform consistently for their team.

#2 Rahul Chahar's woes with the ball

In four matches, Rahul Chahar has given away 95 runs in 12 overs and picked up only two wickets at an economy rate of 7.92. Chahar's inability to take wickets in the middle overs allows the opposition to keep wickets in hand and attack the bowlers at the death.

Even today, on a wicket that was offering some turn, Chahar never looked threatening. Harpreet Brar, on the other hand, made good use of the track, giving away just 20 runs in four overs and dismissing the dangerous Hardik Pandya.

Chahar's struggles, even in favorable conditions, will worry PBKS.

#3 Inability to deliver under pressure

In the first two matches against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), PBKS were in dominating positions from where they should have won the games by a decent margin. However, PBKS let their guard down and started fumbling when put under pressure, especially with the ball.

While they did eventually win both matches by seven and five runs, respectively, the narrow margin of victories, despite having dominated at one stage, will bother the side. It could also negatively impact their net run-rate, which can be crucial in deciding which teams go through to the playoffs.