PBKS vs KKR: New captains, coaches in focus as Punjab Kings takes on Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023

The similarities between the two teams are striking. Both are going through an overhaul with new captains, backroom staff and have been forced to make changes due to injuries.

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Nitish Rana addressing the media on the eve of the KKR vs Punjab Kings match. | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV

Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders carry the same predicament and trepidation as the two sides square off in a battle of nerves in the Tata IPL at the IS Bindra Stadium here on Saturday.

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The similarities between the two teams are striking. Both are going through an overhaul with new captains, backroom staff and have been forced to make change due to injuries.

The Kings have been the perennial underachievers in IPL and their record against the Knight Riders is not glittering either. Last season, the Kings played a high risk, no holds barred attacking style of batting without any desired result. This season, under a new coach Trevor Bayliss, they will approach the games pragmatically. “We will try to keep things as simple as possible and will not to complicate it,’’ said Bayliss

In the other camp, Nitish Rana is warming up to his captaincy role. The Delhi batter said Shreyas Iyer’s absence was a big blow but the team has regrouped under Chandrakant Pandit. “IPL is like a marathon but the first match sets the trend and we want to win,’’ said Rana.

The teams skipped practice due to inclement weather, and with more rain forecasted, Saturday’s contest could see weather delays.

SQUADS

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, N. Jagadeesan, Vaibhav Arora, Suyash Sharma, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Litton Das, Mandeep Singh, Shakib Al Hasan.