The Punjab Kings will take on the Lucknow Super Giants in Mohali on April 28th in a high-stakes IPL 2023 match. With both teams having eight points, the winner will join the Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans, and Chennai Super Kings at the top of the points table. Ahead of the game, former Indian opener and commentator Aakash Chopra has praised Punjab Kings’ lesser-known players, who have been the standout performers for the team this season.
Chopra emphasized how the team has been able to get their young Indian players to punch beyond their weight and believes that the team will be slightly unpredictable, but they have the belief to perform well. He said, “If Punjab plays the same way they played the last match, they are a dangerous team. They will be slightly unpredictable, but they have the belief. They are getting birds to fight with hawks, whether it is Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Jitesh Sharma, or Shahrukh Khan.”
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Chopra also expressed his surprise at Rahul Chahar’s lack of success in taking wickets this season. The youthful spinner is well-known for his ability to take wickets in domestic cricket, but he has only taken two wickets in seven games and has given an average of 8.21 runs per over. Chopra said, “Rahul Chahar is not picking up wickets. I am slightly surprised that he is not getting wickets. It is not a good story. He is a good player and should pick up wickets.”
Punjab Kings’ leading wicket-taker this season is Arshdeep Singh, who has taken 13 scalps. Meanwhile, the team’s big names such as Matt Short and Liam Livingstone have not performed as expected. However, Chopra hopes that Shikhar Dhawan, who was doing very well before getting injured, will play in the upcoming match against the Lucknow Super Giants. With a mix of young and experienced players, the Punjab Kings will be hoping to continue their impressive form and secure a victory against the Lucknow Super Giants.