Get ready for a roller-coaster of a ride as the Indian Premier League (IPL) is about to take off. There will one blockbuster of a game followed by another and fans will be in for several edge of the seat thrillers.
Meanwhile, this will also be an opportunity for Fantasy Cricket lovers to make the most of. After the first match of the tournament between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the second match of the tournament will see a repeat of the IPL 2014 final with Punjab Kings (PBKS) taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Neither team is short on firepower but both seem to have injury issues plaguing them. In such a situation, picking a Fantasy team for this game could be a tricky affair but don't worry we have got you covered.
PBKS vs KKR Fantasy Team
Wicketkeepers:
With Jonny Bairstow not available for the tournament for the Punjab Kings, Bhanuka Rajapaksa emerges as the favourites to don the wicketkeeping gloves for the team and should be picked given he tends to bat in the top order and can also fetch points with his catching and stumping behind the stumps. Kolkata's Afghani stumper Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the other guy who ca be picked as he tends to tear away the opposition bowling attack inside the powerplay.
Batters:
Shikhar Dhawan and Nitish Rana are the preferred picks from the batters section. Others like Shahrukh Khan and Venkatesh Iyer can be picked but only if the balance of the team allows as there are several power-packed all-round options who can be chosen for this match. Iyer, who had batted at the top of the order previously, can be preferred if choosing just one between the two.
All-rounders:
Sam Curran, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are some solid all-round options who will be hard to bet against for a olace in the Fantasy team. Sikandar Raza is the other option who can be considered with Shakib Al Hasan not available for the first few matches.
Bowlers:
From the bowlers too, Punjab's Kagiso Rabada remains doubtful for the opener and a final call on his selection in the Fantasy team should ideally be taken after the toss. Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur are the most picked players so far from this segment so far Umesh Yadav has been superb especially with the new ball and with him being a domestic talent, he will most certainly be used. Hence, won't be a bad pick.
Pro Tip: Finalise the Fantasy XI only after the toss and Playing XIs are announced as there could be surprise in store with regards to the team news.
Fantasy 11 for IPL 2023- PBKS vs KKR (Low Risk XI For Grand League)
Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shikhar Dhawan, Shahrukh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Sam Curran, Sunil Narine, Arshdeep Singh, Shardul Thakur
Disclaimer: Fantasy sports game may be habit-forming or financially risky. Play responsibly. The information contained herein is merely based on parameters including but not limited to players’ past performance & records, players’ fitness & availability, ground conditions, weather conditions, etc. An individual intending to participate in any such fantasy sports game on any platform shall have to use his/her own skill, wisdom & judgement while creating a fantasy team. Accordingly, reader discretion is advised.