The high-flying Punjab Kings (PBKS) will aim to continue their winning momentum when they lock horns with a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their third match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, April 8.
Under newly-appointed captain Shikhar Dhawan, the Punjab Kings have made an impressive start to their IPL 2023 campaign, winning both their matches so far.
The PBKS outfit defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven runs via the DLS method in their opening fixture in Mohali, and later followed it up by beating Rajasthan Royals by five runs in a thrilling high-scoring encounter in Guwahati on Wednesday.
With four points from two matches, the Kings are currently placed third in the IPL 2023 standings, behind only table-toppers Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) on net run rate (NRR).
Meanwhile, PBKS captain Dhawan has led from the front in their first two matches, amassing 126 runs at an excellent strike rate of 148.23. His unbeaten 86 off 56 balls helped the Kings register a nail-biting win over the Royals in their first away game of the season.
In the bowling department, pacer Nathan Ellis has been the wrecker-in-chief for PBKS, bagging five wickets in two matches at an economy of 8.14. Ellis’ bowling partner Arshdeep Singh has also picked up five wickets at an average of 13.20.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad have made a disappointing start to their IPL 2023 season, having suffered defeats against RR and LSG in their two opening matches.
While the 2016 IPL champions lost to the Royals by 72 runs at home, they succumbed to a five-wicket loss against the Super Giants in Lucknow on Friday.
Having lost both their matches, SRH are currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2023 standings.
For SRH, Harry Brook and Adil Rashid will be the players to watch out for. New recruit Brook has scored just 16 runs in two matches, and the England international will look to return to form at their home ground. Meanwhile, Rashid scalped two wickets for 23 runs against LSG in their away fixture.
SRH can take some solace in the two teams’ head-to-head record. Punjab Kings have won just seven of their 20 matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, with SRH taking 13 games.
However, going by their recent form, PBKS will look to extend their winning streak by beating SRH on Sunday. The match will start at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
