PBKS vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2023 match?

A repeat of the 2014 final sees the Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Match 2 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Mohali on Saturday, April 1.

Incredibly, PBKS have not had a sniff of the playoffs since their run to the final. The Kings have only made the knockout stages of the competition twice in their history and are in desperate need of a revival.

KKR, on the other hand, have experienced slightly more success in recent years. They reached the summit clash in 2021 after making an incredible comeback in the second half of the tournament but endured a tough campaign last year.

Both teams will be without key personnel for this clash. Jonny Bairstow has been ruled out of IPL 2023, and Matthew Short has been named as his replacement. Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada will also be unavailable for PBKS, while Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan will not be able to suit up for KKR.

Nevertheless, an enticing afternoon fixture beckons in IPL 2023, with plenty of exciting players on show.

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IPL 2023, PBKS vs KKR Match Prediction: Unfancied teams face off with two important points on the line

Early season predictions don't have either team finishing in the playoff places. In fact, most experts and fans believe that PBKS and KKR will be at the very bottom of the IPL 2023 points table by the time the league phase concludes.

The Kings have issues in their batting lineup, with barely any solid Indian batters barring Shikhar Dhawan. Shahrukh Khan has been in terrible form over the last year or so, while there's only so much Jitesh Sharma can do with his aggressive shot-making.

PBKS might have to turn to the likes of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Sikandar Raza to make up for Livingstone's absence, while Nathan Ellis could fill in for Rabada. Punjab have a decent bowling attack but could struggle to keep up with the mystery spin of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy.

KKR, on the other hand, must find a way to fill the Shreyas Iyer-sized hole in their middle order. Nitish Rana has never been the most consistent batter, and it remains to be seen what effect captaincy has on his game.

As always, the Knight Riders are heavily reliant on Andre Russell to come up with telling all-round contributions. Their expensive incoming trades, Shardul Thakur and Lockie Ferguson, will also have a lot on their plate.

It's almost impossible to predict the outcome of this contest, with several questions hanging over the playing XIs the two teams will put out and the strategies they will employ with respect to the impact player rule. In all honesty, this one could go either way.

On paper, KKR might start as the slight favorites since PBKS aren't at full strength.

Prediction: KKR to win Match 2 of IPL 2023.