IPL 2023: 3 surprise Dream11 fantasy team picks for KKR vs PBKS match

IPL 2023 heads to Kolkata for a clash between the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday, May 8. PBKS defeated KKR by seven runs earlier this season in Mohali. The Knight Riders will aim to avenge that loss when they take the field at the Eden Gardens tonight.

Speaking of the performances of the two teams in IPL 2023 thus far, Punjab hold the seventh position in the points table with five wins from 10 matches. However, a win in tonight's match can take the Kings straight to the third position in the standings.

Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders hold the eighth spot, having registered four wins from 10 matches. KKR are coming off a close win against the SunRisers Hyderabad in their last game. They will be keen to continue their winning momentum.

The pitch at Eden Gardens is good for batting, which is why the likes of Liam Livingstone, Nitish Rana, and Rinku Singh will be among the top picks for the Dream11 contests of the KKR vs PBKS match.

Before the Dream11 teams are locked for this IPL 2023 game, in this article now, we will look at the three surprise picks that can end up proving to be differentials in the match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Punjab Kings.

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#1 Varun Chakravarthy - Kolkata Knight Riders

Quite a few fantasy cricket users may ignore Varun Chakravarthy in tonight's contests because the mystery spinner leaked 42 runs in his four wicketless overs during his last outing at the Eden Gardens. The Gujarat Titans batters destroyed Varun's mystery spin.

However, Varun can be backed to perform well against PBKS tonight. The spinner's overall record in Kolkata is decent, while he would have gained confidence after defending nine runs off the 20th over in the game against SRH. Fans should expect a special performance from Varun tonight.

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#2 Shikhar Dhawan - Punjab Kings

Shikhar Dhawan has struggled for consistency after return from injury (Image: IPLT20.com)

Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan was in fantastic touch during the initial matches of the season. However, he got injured and missed a few matches in the mid-phase. Dhawan returned from his injury break soon, but he is yet to play a big knock for his franchise.

Dhawan has gotten off to good starts in the last two matches. However, he lost his wicket just after getting settled in the middle. The pitch in Kolkata is good for batting. Hence, a big knock from Dhawan could be on the cards tonight.

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#3 Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz got out for a golden duck in his team's last match against the SunRisers Hyderabad. Many fantasy cricket users will be reluctant to pick him in their teams for tonight's IPL 2023 match.

However, they should not forget that Gurbaz scored 81 runs off just 39 balls in his last knock at the Eden Gardens against the Gujarat Titans (GT). Gurbaz has a good idea of the conditions in Kolkata and can end up playing another top knock for the home team in IPL 2023.