Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey
PBKS vs LSG Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: IPL 2022 Match 42 | PBKS vs LKN Dream11 Prediction Today | Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants Key Players | Pune Pitch Report
The rollercoaster was back in action regarding the Punjab Kings. In an up-and-down first half of the season, the Kings either won well or lost heavily, with the latest effort a solid victory over Chennai Super Kings. They are yet to win two straight matches in IPL 2022, and given their net run rate is a poor -0.419, they must win this crucial match against fourth-placed Lucknow Super Giants.
LSG have had such an impact in their first season that they are already valued at over $1 billion by Forbes. Led well by the brilliant KL Rahul, the Giants have been solid, but they too have been on a win-loss pattern in their past four games. Their last game resulted in a comfortable victory over the struggling Mumbai Indians courtesy of another Rahul masterclass, and another good performance today will help cement their spot in the top four.
Punjab’s batting consultant Julian Wood spoke about being “aggressively smart” after their 187/4 against CSK. If they employ a similar approach with the excellent Shikhar Dhawan leading the way, anything is possible. And, if Rishi Dhawan can hold his own, it adds another dimension in the Kings’ much-maligned bowling attack. Crucial game.
Possible Playing 11
Punjab should persist with the same XI that beat CSK.
Punjab Kings: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Mayank Agarwal (c), 3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4. Liam Livingstone, 5. Jonny Bairstow, 6. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7. Rishi Dhawan, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Rahul Chahar, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Sandeep Sharma
Avesh Khan missed LSG’s last match with a niggle. He could return today, but there is no official word yet.
Also, Manish Pandey’s spot in the side is under the spotlight. LSG’s number three batsmen have contributed just 87 runs this season.
Lucknow Super Giants: 1. KL Rahul (c), 2. Quinton de Kock (wk), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Marcus Stoinis, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Krunal Pandya, 7. Ayush Badoni, 8. Jason Holder, 9. Dushmantha Chameera, 10. Ravi Bishnoi, 11. Avesh Khan/Mohsin Khan
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Punjab Kings:
- Shikhar Dhawan, one of the IPL greats, was superb against CSK (88*). He now has the fourth-most runs in IPL 2022, with 302 runs in eight matches at an average of 43.14 and strike rate of 132.45. He also has three 50+ scores in six matches at Pune (avg. 42.67, SR 136.17).
- Dhawan has scored 65 off 47 vs Holder, 36 off 19 vs Bishnoi and 29 off 26 vs Krunal in T20s without dismissal.
- Mayank Agarwal has struck two 50+ scores in four innings at Pune. PBKS will be hoping for that kind of form here as Agarwal is averaging just 19.42 this season.
- Agarwal has good numbers against some of LSG’s bowlers. He has scored 46 off 23 vs Krunal (one dismissal) and 42 off 27 vs Avesh (no dismissal).
- Liam Livingstone’s strike rate of 187.02 is the second-highest among players with at least 200 runs in IPL 2022. Only Dinesh Karthik (198.16) has a higher strike rate.
- Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been one of the positives for Punjab this season, even though he has had limited opportunities. He has struck a 30+ score in three of his four innings in IPL 2022 at an overall strike rate of 183.82. The only time he missed out was due to a run out vs CSK.
- Can Kagiso Rabada get the better of KL Rahul? The fast bowler has dismissed Rahul once in 21 deliveries, whilst only conceding 23. He also has figures of 2/14 off 16 balls vs Manish Pandey.
- Rabada took 2/29 on this ground earlier this season. Also, he has taken at least one wicket in all but one match so far in IPL 2022.
- Rahul Chahar is Punjab’s leading wicket-taker in IPL 2022 (10). PBKS could look to use Chahar in the powerplay as he has respectable numbers vs KL Rahul: 35 balls, 36 runs conceded, one dismissal.
Lucknow Super Giants:
- KL Rahul is in his element. He has struck two centuries in his past three matches (both vs MI) to sit second in the Orange Cap race (368 runs) with an impressive strike rate of 147.79. Can he dominate his former franchise?
- Quinton de Kock is in need of runs after just 37 runs in his past three knocks. He has a brilliant record vs Rabada in T20s (89 off 61, no dismissal), but needs to watch out for Arshdeep Singh, who has dismissed him twice in 14 deliveries.
- LSG to send Marcus Stoinis in when Rahul Chahar is bowling? The Australian has smashed 32 off 12 against the leg-spinner without getting out.
- Krunal Pandya is in excellent touch. He has taken four wickets in his past two matches (3/19 vs MI), and also struck a 28-ball 42 vs RCB recently.
- Jason Holder has taken at least one wicket in all but one match in IPL 2022. In fact, he has the second-most wickets at the death this season (6), only behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar (7). Also, he has dismissed Mayank Agarwal once in two deliveries in T20s, without conceding a run.
- Dushmantha Chameera could be key against Dhawan. He has dismissed the left-hander twice in 25 deliveries, whilst conceding just 30.
- Avesh Khan, who missed the last match a niggle, remains LSG’s leading wicket-taker this season (11). He has taken the third-most wickets at the death this season (5).
Other Stats and Facts
- Like the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings have lost the toss seven times out of eight.
- The underrated Arshdeep Singh is conceding just 5.66 per over in the death overs in IPL 2022. This is the most economical of all bowlers at this stage (min. five overs).
- Ravi Bishnoi has taken just two wickets in his past four matches at an economy rate above nine. He conceded under seven an over in his first four games, and also took four wickets. Can he rediscover that early form?
- KL Rahul is striking at 145+ against both pace and spin this season. Only Jos Buttler and David Miller are in the same boat among players who have scored 100+ runs against both bowling types.
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune Pitch Report and Weather
The team batting first has won four of the past seven matches at Pune in IPL 2022. The latest was the Royals, who defended 144 against RCB. This is the lowest total defended so far in IPL 2022.
The average first innings score at Pune is 172. Last time they played here, Punjab smashed 198/5 vs MI, led by Mayank Agarwal (52 off 32) and Shikhar Dhawan (70 off 50). Jitesh Sharma also struck an unbeaten 15-ball 30.
PBKS vs LSG Dream11 Prediction April 29 2022
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.
Option 1:
Option 2:
Fan2Play Prediction
Base team:
- Wicket-keepers: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock
- Batsmen: Shikhar Dhawan
- All-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Jason Holder
- Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada
Match Prediction
Team batting first to win? 170+ batting first could be a winning total. Punjab, if their top order leads the way, can win this match.
