KKR vs PBKS IPL 2023 match: Confirmed playing XI, Impact players, Last-minute Dream11 tips

IPL 2023: The two-time Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Punjab Kings in their first match of the 16th edition of the cash-rich T20 league. The match will be played on April 1, 2023, at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. Kolkata will miss the services of their regular captain Shreyas Iyer in IPL 2023. Nitish Rana will lead the side and KKR will look to qualify for the finals for the first time since 2021.

Punjab Kings on the other hand have not been able to win an IPL trophy. The qualified for the finals of the 2014 season, but were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders. Punjab Kings will be led by Shikhar Dhawan as this year.

KKR vs PBKS IPL 2023 match: Confirmed Playing XI 

Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Litton Das, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Mandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakraborty, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee

Punjab Kings Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada,  Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar. 

ALSO READ | Live Cricket Score | KKR Vs PBKS IPL Live Updates

KKR vs PBKS IPL 2023 match: Toss update

KKR win the toss and elect to bowl first.

KKR vs PBKS: Impact players

Kolkata Knight Riders: V Iyer, Jagadeeshan, David Wiese, V Arora, S Sharma

Punjab Kings: H Singh, A Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Matthew Short, M Rathee

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings: Head-to-Head Record 

Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have faced each other 30 times in the 15 seasons of the Indian Premier League wherein  KKR have emerged to be winners 20 times and Punjab being the winners on ten occasions. 

If we talk about the record in the last five encounters between both these sides, Kolkata Knight Riders have won on three occasions whereas Punjab Kings managed to win only two matches. But, the most rememberable match for the fans of both the sides will be the IPL 2014 final where KKR managed to beat Punjab and went on to clinch the coveted IPL trophy for the second time under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir.

In the finals of 2014, Punjab scored a mammoth 199 while batting first and were in with a great chance of winning their maiden IPL trophy. Kolkata Knight Riders were jolted early on in the chase as they reduced Gambhir's side to 59/2. But later Manish Pandey ended up scoring 94 runs and kept KKR in the hunt. However, after he fell KKR was certainly in trouble and Punjab came back into the match. But, some last-over drama was still pending in the match when Piyush Chawla hit Mitchell Johnson for runs in the 19th over, and at last, it was Chawla only who hit the winning shot and steered his team home. 

PBKS vs KOL: Dream11 Fantasy Picks

• Wicket Keeper: Jitesh Sharma
• Batsmen: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Nitish Rana, Liam Livingstone, Rinku Singh, Shahrukh Khan
• All-Rounders: Andre Russell, Sam Curran
• Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Kagiso Rabada, Umesh Yadav