Punjab, on the other hand, have lost momentum after suffering back-to-back two defeats. They have dropped to the sixth spot. The side kicked off their campaigns with back-to-back wins but their batting woes have led to a major chaos in the team lately.
KL Rahul-led Lucknow would be entering the match on the back of a thrilling last-ball win against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The side gunned down 213 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.
As the two teams gear up to clash against each other for the first time in the IPL 2023, let’s have a look at four bowlers who can end with maximum wickets in the match.
Mark Wood: The LSG pacer would be aiming to pounce on under-pressure Punjab Kings batters. He is already the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL 2023 with nine scalps in three matches at an average of 10.55.
He was one of the only two bowlers to pick a wicket for his team in their last match against RCB at a very batting-friendly Chinnaswamy track. Overall, he has picked 74 T20 wickets in 52 T20s at an average of 19.90.
Amit Mishra: The veteran leg-spinner continued to impress at the age of 40. In his first outing of the IPL 2023 season, he picked two wickets for 23 runs in four overs. He was the only second wicket-taker for LSG against RCB. He bowled two overs for 18 runs and one wicket.
Overall, the leg-spinner has played 246 T20 matches and picked 275 wickets at an average of 22.29 and an economy rate of 7.14.
Arshdeep Singh: The Punjab Kings pacer is the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL 2023. He has picked seven wickets in four matches at an average of 17. The Lucknow batting unit is loaded with quality southpaws (Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock) and the left-arm pacer’s matchup against them would be an interesting one.
Overall, the 24-year-old has picked 104 T20 wickets in 81 matches at an average of 21.8
Kagiso Rabada: The South African star played his first match of the season against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday and picked one wicket from his four overs for 36 runs. With an IPL match under his belt, Rabada would be aiming to deliver his best against LSG.
In the IPL 2022 season, he picked 23 wickets – the third-highest by any bowler in the season. Overall, he has picked 224 wickets in 173 T20 matches at an average of 22.65.
