IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy teams for PBKS vs GT match

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) face off in the 18th match of IPL 2023 on Thursday, April 13, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

Both teams lost their respective last matches, albeit in starkly different manners. The Punjab Kings remained in the game courtesy of an absolute one-man show from Shikhar Dhawan before being beaten by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The Gujarat Titans (GT), on the other hand, did almost everything right in their game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), only to lose thanks to an unbelievable six-hitting display from Rinku Singh.

This PBKS bowling lineup is arguably the best they've had in a long time, and they do look pretty strong this season. They won their first game of the season at home and will want to make it three wins out of four by getting the better of the defending champions.

This should be a riveting, high-scoring contest, with plenty of twists and turns. On that note, let's look at three surprise Dream11 picks.

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#3 Rahul Tewatia (GT)

Rahul Tewatia loves playing against the Punjab Kings.

Rahul Tewatia may not have had much of a role to play in GT's season so far, but there's something about the games against PBKS that just seems to make him tick. His ownership is rightfully extremely low. He most often bats at No. 7 and doesn't seem to bowl a single over, especially with the option of the impact sub available.

However, Tewatia always seems to turn up in a game against the Punjab Kings, and purely because of that, he's worth a punt. He's a perfect utility player for any team, and there's a good chance he'll pull off a match-winning performance.

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#2 Kagiso Rabada (PBKS)

The stage was set for Kagiso Rabada to make his first appearance in IPL 2023 in PBKS' clash against SRH, albeit as an impact sub in the second innings. However, an unexpected batting collapse forced them to bring on all-rounder Sikandar Raza as the impact sub, leaving Rabada on the bench.

He's most likely to return to the side in this match, either as part of the main playing XI or as an Impact Sub, and he'll have a huge role to play for PBKS. The last time these two sides met, Rabada picked up four wickets, winning the Player of the Match award. He has the wood over both Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, with both crucial in getting GT off to a good start.

With the GT bowling lineup more or less firing, PBKS will need some ammunition on their own. Along with Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, and possibly Nathan Ellis, Rabada forms a fearsome PBKS bowling lineup. His ownership should be really low, and he's a terrific Dream11 differential.

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#1 Liam Livingstone (PBKS)

Liam Livingstone was PBKS' second-highest run-scorer last season.

One of PBKS' biggest positives last season was the performance of star all-rounder Liam Livingstone. While they haven't exactly missed him in these first three matches, they'll surely be glad that he's back, and he's likely to walk right back into their playing XI.

There's not much there that needs to be said about the kind of devastating batter Liam Livingstone is. On a good batting surface, he can wreak havoc.

Livingstone is one of the few players who actually has a stellar record against Rashid Khan, and in the form that the latter is in right now, PBKS need someone to combat that.

He is, however, returning from a long injury layoff, but that shouldn't deter Dream11 managers from taking a chance on a very powerful differential.