PBKS vs KKR, IPL 2023: 3 player battles to watch out for

The second match of IPL 2023 will take place today, with the Punjab Kings hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. It will be the first match of the new season for both franchises, as well as the first afternoon game of IPL 2023.

The Punjab Kings have failed to qualify for the playoffs every season since 2014. They made it to the finals in 2014, where the Kolkata Knight Riders defeated them. KKR finished runners-up in 2021 but failed to make the top 4 last year.

With new captains Shikhar Dhawan and Nitish Rana taking over the reins of the two teams, PBKS and KKR will look to make a fresh start in IPL 2023.

Ahead of their battle in Mohali, here's a look at three player battles to watch out for in this match.

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#1 Varun Chakravarthy vs M Shahrukh Khan

Tamil Nadu has dominated domestic tournaments over the last few years. The team's two top IPL stars Varun Chakravarthy and M Shahrukh Khan will go head-to-head in the upcoming match.

Chakravarthy went wicketless in his last outing against the Punjab Kings but conceded only 14 runs in his four overs. Shahrukh, on the other hand, got out for a five-ball duck in his previous innings against KKR.

It will be interesting to see if Shahrukh can put in a better performance in the upcoming match. He plays in the middle order for Punjab Kings. With Liam Livingstone unavailable for the first match, PBKS will rely on Shahrukh for a strong finish.

Meanwhile, KKR will hope that Varun Chakravarthy keeps a check on the run-flow during the innings and also takes a wicket or two. If Varun bowls in the death overs, his contest against Khan will draw a lot of attention.

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#2 Umesh Yadav vs Shikhar Dhawan

Umesh Yadav troubled the batters with his new-ball bowling in IPL 2022 (Image: IPLT20.com)

Experienced Indian pacer Umesh Yadav is likely to open the bowling for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming season as well. Yadav did a fantastic job with the new ball for the Kolkata-based franchise in IPL 2022.

Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan will open the innings for his team. Dhawan will have the responsibility of tackling Umesh's swing and ensuring that the Kings do not lose an early wicket in the powerplay overs.

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#3 Rahul Chahar vs Nitish Rana

Rahul Chahar will be the key spinner for Punjab Kings in IPL 2023. The leg-spinner has a habit of taking wickets. In the last meeting between KKR and PBKS, Chahar dismissed Nitish Rana for a duck. The leg-spinner trapped him in front of the stumps on the second ball that he faced.

Rana will be leading the Kolkata Knight Riders today and is the team's main Indian middle-order batter. If Chahar can dismiss Rana early once again, PBKS will gain the upper hand in the IPL 2023 contest at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium.