We will host Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in our eighth match of the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, on Friday, April 28.
Our Shers beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 13 runs in a thrilling, high-scoring encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
With four wins and three losses, we are in sixth place in the TATA IPL 2023 standings with eight points from seven matches and an NRR of -0.16.
On the other hand, the KL Rahul-led LSG will head into the game after suffering a seven-run defeat against defending champions Gujarat Titans. The Super Giants have also won four of their seven matches. But, they are placed fourth with an NRR of 0.55.
Ahead of our clash against LSG, let us look at some of the stats and numbers:
Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants Head-To-Head:
The Kings and the Super Giants have locked horns on two occasions, winning one match each.
| Competition | Total Matches | Won by PBKS | Won by LSG |
| Overall | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| In Mohali | Yet to be played | ||
Our boys pipped LSG by two wickets in our previous meeting earlier this season.
In the last season clash played in Pune, the Super Giants handed us a 20-run loss in our first-ever meeting.
| Match Date | Venue | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | Result |
| 15/04/2023 | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | LSG (159/8) | PBKS (161/8) | PBKS won by two wickets |
| 29/04/2022 | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | LSG (153/8) | PBKS (133/8) | LSG won by 20 runs |
Sam Curran’s Brilliance:
In the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, Sam Curran has led our boys in the ongoing season.
The 24-year-old has been one of the standout players for us this season, having scored 142 runs in seven matches. He has the fourth-best strike rate in death overs.
Best strike rate in death overs
| Player | Innings | Runs | SR |
| Vijay Shankar | 2 | 74 | 247 |
| Tilak Varma | 4 | 76 | 230 |
| Rinku Singh | 5 | 154 | 203 |
| Sam Curran | 4 | 83 | 198 |
| MS Dhoni | 5 | 61 | 197 |
Curran has performed sensationally in the death overs too.
Curran bowling phase in death overs
| Phase | Overs | Wickets | Average | Economy |
| Death Overs | 9.5 | 4 | 22.0 | 9.1 |
| Middle Overs | 5 | 1 | 53.0 | 10..6 |
| Powerplay | 10 | 0 | - | 7.8 |
Middle Order Steals Limelight:
Our middle order has performed magnificently in the ongoing marquee tournament. Our Shers have now scored the second-most runs by a team, only behind Kolkata Knight Riders.
Most runs scored by middle order in TATA IPL 2023
| Teams | Runs |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 675 |
| Punjab Kings | 522 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 522 |
Jitesh Sharma Continues To Grab Headlines:
Jitesh Sharma has been in scintillating form for us this season. The 29-year-old holds a strike rate of 173 in the T20 format which is, the joint-highest (min. 500 balls) among all the batters in world cricket.
Highest Strike Rate in T20 since 2021
| Player | Innings | Runs | SR |
| Jitesh Sharma | 39 | 884 | 173 |
| Finn Allen | 81 | 2230 | 173 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 82 | 2552 | 165 |
Arshdeep Singh’s Stunning Form:
Our lead pacer, Arshdeep Singh, has been the wrecker-in-chief this season. The left-arm pacer has bagged the joint third-most wickets during powerplay this season.
Most wickets taken in powerplay in TATA IPL 2023
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Economy |
| Mohammed Shami | 7 | 7 | 4.9 |
| Trent Boult | 6 | 7 | 6.1 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 7 | 6 | 8.8 |
He has also been lethal in the death overs, having scalped the joint third-most wickets in TATA IPL 2023 so far.
Most wickets taken in death overs in TATA IPL 2023
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Economy |
| Harshal Patel | 7 | 8 | 11.1 |
| Mark Wood | 4 | 7 | 10.9 |
| Tushar Deshpande | 7 | 7 | 12.4 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 6 | 6 | 8.7 |
