IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy team for PBKS vs LSG match

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) lock horns in the 38th match of IPL 2023 on Friday, April 28, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

Both teams are playing after a good six-day break. They are coming off contrasting results in their respective last outings.

The hosts played out of their skin to outscore the Mumbai Indians and win away at the Wankhede Stadium, with stand-in captain Sam Curran impressing with the bat and Arshdeep Singh delivering with the ball. With the injured Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada likely to return to the XI, PBKS could field their first-choice playing XI.

Meanwhile, LSG lost their last match against the Gujarat Titans (GT) from the most unlosable position ever, with KL Rahul and the entire management receiving plenty of criticism for the same. They'll want to bounce back from that blow against a side that has already beaten them once this season.

This should be a cracking encounter between two teams searching for consistency in their performances. On that note, let's look at three differential Dream11 picks.

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#3 Deepak Hooda (LSG)

Surely Deepak Hooda will start scoring runs at some point. This is too big a slump for a player as talented as Hooda, and LSG shuffling around his batting position doesn't help anyone. He has scored only 41 runs in seven matches, averaging 5.86, and scoring at a strike rate of 80.39. Those are abominable stats and Hooda will want to change them as soon as he can.

He's very likely to return to batting at No. 3 today and should take some time to get settled before going for the big shots. Any international player who bats so high up the order is always capable of delivering the points and Hooda could be a smart Dream11 differential for today's game.

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#2 Matthew Short (PBKS)

Australian batting all-rounder Matt Short has got more gametime than he would've expected to receive when PBKS signed him as Jonny Bairstow's replacement. While he has shown sparks of quality, he hasn't delivered a game-changing performance yet.

Switching between opening and batting at No. 3, Short has dealt with the quicker bowlers well but hasn't been able to make an impact once the powerplay is done and the spinners come into action. On a good wicket like Mohali where the ball comes on nicely to the bat, Short should enjoy his time out in the middle and will look to play a substantial knock.

His off-spin could also prove to be useful against the many left-handed batters LSG possess.

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#1 Kagiso Rabada (PBKS)

Kagiso Rabada is a Dream11 must-have.

Kagiso Rabada's wicket-taking prowess needs no introduction. While PBKS have sauntered along rather nicely despite his absence, they'll be buoyed if he's declared fit to play after a niggle saw him miss the last few matches.

Rabada is one of the league's best wicket-takers and partnership-breakers. Although he may occasionally go for runs, he almost always guarantees points on Dream11. Especially on a large ground like Mohali, Rabada can bowl his bouncers fearlessly without having to worry whether a top edge may make its way over the fence.

His ownership is really low since he hasn't played the last few matches. But if he plays, Rabada is almost a Dream11 must-have.