IPL 2023: 3 Players Who Will Be Crucial for Punjab Kings to Win LSG vs PBKS Match No. 21

IPL 2023: Punjab Kings (PBKS) started the 2023 Indian Premier League in great fashion. They defeated two strong teams, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, in back-to-back games. But the last two games didn’t go in their favor. Shikhar Dhawan and his men have lost both of their last games comprehensively. They lost to SRH by 8 wickets, followed by a 6-wicket defeat against GT. Both games saw a complete failure of the batting lineup for PBKS.

Against SRH, they scored only 143, while against GT, they reached 153, which is a big problem for them. Apart from Dhawan, not many have stepped up and performed. Now, they have a bigger challenge ahead of them. PBKS will lock horns with an in-form LSG at their home on Saturday, April 15. Thus, Punjab needs to forget its last two games and perform. Thus, we will discuss three crucial players for Punjab in LSG vs PBKS Match No. 21.

IPL 2023: 3 Key Players for Punjab Kings in LSG vs PBKS Match No. 21

3. Matthew Short

The Australian all-rounder Matthew Short made his IPL debut against SRH a couple of matches ago. But he only made one run in his debut inning, but in the next game, Short showed what he is capable of. Against GT, he scored the most runs for his team, playing an inning of quick 36 off 24, with six fours and one six.

30 out of the 36 runs he scored came on boundaries, which shows his mindset. He comes to bat at No. 3, which is a very important position and can be a floater in the team who can bat anywhere. Apart from that, he is also a useful off-spinner who can bowl some tidy overs in the middle. Short can be someone who can score at a quick pace, which is what PBKS wants him to do against LSG.

2. Sam Curran

The English all-rounder Sam Curran has contributed with both the bat and the ball in this IPL. He has done a fair job for the franchise but needs an impactful performance going forward. Curran has scored 71 runs at a strike rate of 165.52 and taken two wickets to go with that. His last over against RR pulled off the win for his team.

Curran’s presence is very vital in PBKS. He is a hard-hitting batter who bats at No. 5 or 6, as well as one of the main bowlers on the team. His change-ups and slower ones can sometimes be very deceptive for the batters. Punjab needs to break their losing streak, and Curran can be the man to do that on Saturday.

1. Shikhar Dhawan

In simple words, we can say that Shikhar Dhawan is the key to PBKS batting. If the opposition team can remove Dhawan early, Punjab can get out cheaply, as everyone saw against GT. After the PBKS skipper got out for 8 runs, the team only managed 152 runs on a batting pitch. Against SRH, he single-handedly took Punjab to 143 with his unbeaten 99.

Dhawan is the highest run-getter in the tournament with 233 runs in four innings at an incredible average of 116.50 and a healthy strike rate of 146.54, including two half-centuries. The Southpaw is the biggest wicket for the opposition, and he is just consistent enough to play a good inning in every game. The left-hander missed against GT but will look to come back strongly when he plays against LSG on Saturday.