LSG vs PBKS: Punjab Kings hope for strong batting performance against rampaging Lucknow Super Giants

After two victories, Punjab Kings have suffered to back-to-back defeats and now face the rampaging Lucknow Super Giants, who are on a two-match winning streak, in the IPL 2023 on Saturday. The biggest worry for PBKS currently is their batting which has come undone in the last two matches with a high dot-ball count.

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If skipper Shikhar Dhawan was left to carry the team on his shoulders against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the day he failed the other batters could only manage 153 for 8 against Gujarat Titans, mainly because of Shahrukh Khan’s nine-ball 22.

The main reason behind PBKS’s underwhelming total was their failure to push the scoring in the middle overs between 10 and 15. They ended up playing 56 dot balls, an area where the team will have to get better.

“We did not put many runs on the board. We have to rectify that thing going forward. If you see the number of dot balls, if a team plays 56 balls, you end up losing the game,” Dhawan had said after the loss.

With scores of 40, 86 not out and 99 not out in his first three innings, Dhawan remains undoubtedly Punjab’s most impactful player but it is the inconsistency of the other batters that is a reason for worry.

Sam’s range = ♾@CurranSM is ready for the Lucknow challenge!