Punjab Kings Won by 7 Runs (D/L Method)
PUNJAB KINGS
191/5
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
146/7
LOCATION – Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali
PBKS wins this rain-affected match at Mohali to kick up their 2023 campaign. After being given the ball by Nitish Rana, PBKS put up 191 on the scoreboard. The PBKS Skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 86-point partnership was what turned the tide in their favour. The fact that every PBKS batter got off to a start is encouraging for the remainder of the competition. Varun Chakravarthy and Umesh Yadav were efficient, but the rest of the KKR bowlers gave up more than 10 r.p.o. The going got tough for the Knight Riders as a result of KKR losing three wickets in the powerplay. The KKR team managed just 146 runs, falling short by 7 runs (according to DLS technique), despite some lusty smashes from the captain Nitish Rana, impact player Venkatesh Iyer, and Andre Russell. The best bowler for PBKS was Arshdeep, who took three of the four top-order wickets with the assistance of the spinners Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar, who bowled tight overs at the other end. In this format, winning is winning, and maintaining that momentum into the next game is always important.