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Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, 38th Match
Tag & Logo Credit: Sevenstreaks
After a terrific win over Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings (PBKS) are all set to host Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the 38th match of the ongoing IPL 2023.
So far, they have played some sensational cricket and have won four out of their seven matches.
Lucknow on the other hand choked against Gujarat Titans in their last match after skipper KL Rahul left them on the cusp of victory.
In the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, Sam Curran-led PBKS posted a mammoth 214-8 on the scoreboard in 1st innings.
Later, they restricted MI to 201-6 in 2nd innings, winning by 13 runs. Arshdeep Singh grabbed a 4-wicket haul while Sam Curran (55) shattered a half-century.
LSG faced a humiliating defeat against Gujarat Titans in their last match of IPL 2023, where they failed to chase down a low target of 136. Skipper KL Rahul played a valiant knock of 68 runs off 61 balls but he got out at a crucial moment during the death overs.
LSG lost momentum on a slow wicket at Ekana Cricket Stadium and eventually lost by 7 runs. LSG piled up 128-7 on the board till the final ball.
Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings are neither on a rise nor on a decline.
They are inconsistent. Not surprisingly, in a tightly-packed points table, they are mid-tablers like Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore - only separated by Net Run Rate.
Both teams have won four of their seven games, and are desperately looking to move away from that tug of war, and rise to where Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings are placed.
Both teams have travelled to Mohali for their next contest on the back of contrasting shows in their previous games.
Punjab Kings played seven matches in this season of the IPL where they managed to win four matches while Lucknow Super Giants also played seven matches in this season where they, too, won four games.
Punjab Kings: Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Harpreet Singh, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curranยฉ, Jitesh Sharma(wk), Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahulยฉ, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran(wk), Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-Haq, Prerak Mankad
The pitch at Mohali initially aids the quick bowlers but becomes batter-friendly over the course of the game. Early assistance for quick bowlers is on offer during the initial overs.
Batting becomes easier as the game progresses. There will be little assistance on offer for the spinners on this track.
The average first-innings score on this wicket is 160 runs.
The team batting second has great records here. They have maintained a winning percentage of 60 on this ground.