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Punjab Kings will look to get the better of Lucknow Super Giants for the second time this year when the two sides meet in a clash of the mid-table teams here at the I.S. Bindra Stadium on Friday.
Both teams are on eight points, with Lucknow in fourth place – ahead on net run rate – while Punjab is sixth.
In the earlier meeting between the two sides, in Lucknow, PBKS prevailed in the last over, chasing 160.
Kings’ spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi sounded optimistic about skipper Shikhar Dhawan’s chance of playing on Friday.
Dhawan missed the last three outings due to a shoulder niggle. The opener’s return will be a massive boost for the home team’s top-order, which has looked vulnerable.
The fight for the playoff berths is heating up, with four teams tied on eight points.
This year, the sides are evenly matched and minor missteps could have enormous consequences. It is something LSG learnt the hard way when it botched an easy run-chase against Gujarat Titans last weekend to lose by seven runs.
From a position of strength, the Super Giants’ batters made a mess of things against some tight bowling from the Titans on a slow-paced pitch.
K.L. Rahul – despite scoring 68 – came under the scanner again for his slow strike rate, and the Lucknow skipper will look to silence his critics on a pitch that could be better for the batters.
With seven matches done, both teams will look to start the second half of their campaigns on a positive note, as a win here will brighten their chances of finishing in the top four.
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