IPL 2023: Rajapaksa powers PBKS to 191/5 vs KKR
What's the story
Punjab Kings (PBKS) posted a mammoth 191/5 while batting first in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opener versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The track suited the batters as most of the KKR bowlers were taken to the cleaners. While Bhanuka Rajapaksa smoked a breezy 50, skipper Shikhar Dhawan contributed with 40 runs. Tim Southee claimed two wickets. Here's how the innings pan out.
Summary
A look at the innings summary
KKR skipper Nitish Rana won the toss and elected to bowl at Mohali's PCA Stadium. Opener Prabhsimran Singh's 12-ball 23 got PBKS off to a flying start. Post his departure, Dhawan joined forces with Rajapaksa and the duo added 86 runs for the second wicket. Jitesh Sharma (21), debutant Sikandar Raza (16), Sam Curran (26*), and Shahrukh Khan (11*) also made handy contributions.
Knock
Maiden fifty for Rajapaksa
Rajapaksa, who wasn't a certain starter in the PBKS XI, made great utilization of the opportunity. He tormented the KKR bowlers in the powerplay as the Mohali-based team was 56/1 after six overs. Rajapaksa completed his 50 off 30 balls and was dismissed soon after. This was the Sri Lankan batter's maiden fifty in IPL and 12th overall in T20 cricket.
Information
Handy contribution from Dhawan
The ever-consistent Shikhar Dhawan provided great support to Rajapaksa. The PBKS skipper anchored the innings and ended up scoring 40 runs off 29 deliveries. His knock was laced with six boundaries. With 6,284 runs, the southpaw is the second-highest run-getter in IPL history.
Performance
How did the bowlers fare?
It was a tough day for KKR bowlers at the office. Southee was the pick of the KKR bowlers, claiming 2/54 in four overs. However, he was taken to the cleaners. Umesh Yadav (1/27) and Varun Chakaravarthy (1/26) succeeded in restricting the run flow. Sunil Narine (1/40) and Shardul Thakur (0/43) also gave away big runs. Surprisingly, Andre Russell didn't bowl a single over.