Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants Predictions: Both teams have chance of going into top four

Playing in their eighth game of the season Punjab Kings will welcome Lucknow Super Giants in the 38th game of the season at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on 28th April. Both teams are on eight points and winning this game will propel them to the top four. Who will win this game?

The Punjab Kings must have been thrilled with their performance in the previous match where they beat the Mumbai Indians on their home turf. This win earned them two valuable points, and they are now close to breaking into the top-4.

Despite not having their star batsman and captain Shikhar Dhawan in the team, the Kings batted brilliantly to set a massive total of 214 against MI. It is unclear whether Dhawan will be available for selection in the upcoming match.

Despite a decent start, it was the partnership of 92 runs between Harpreet Singh and Sam Curran for the 5th wicket that really got things going for the team. In addition, Jitesh Sharma played a brilliant cameo of 25 runs from only 7 deliveries, giving the team the final push they needed.

Although Liam Livingstone had a few quiet games, he is not to be underestimated, as he can play match-winning innings or even take crucial wickets with his spin bowling in both directions. We believe that PBKS should consider bringing back Bhanuka Rajapaksa in place of Matt Short.

In our opinion, Jitesh Sharma is performing exceptionally well as a finisher and appears to be prepared to play at the international level. The PBKS batting lineup has a lot of strength. Leading the new-ball attack will be Arshdeep Singh once again, with Nathan Ellis assisting him from the other end. Arshdeep has been consistently good even in the death overs and has taken 13 wickets so far. Nathan Ellis has also taken wickets at regular intervals but has been expensive, while Sam Curran and Rahul Chahar have struggled to contain the opposition's batsmen.

Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

After a strong start to the season, the Lucknow Super Giants have lost two of their last three matches and are now at risk of dropping out of the top four on the table.

In their most recent game against the Gujarat Titans, the Super Giants were in a comfortable position but ended up collapsing and losing the match by seven runs. Despite Kyle Mayers and KL Rahul providing solid starts, there have been criticisms directed at Rahul's slow batting that ultimately puts pressure on the lower-order batsmen.

Although the team has players capable of big hits, there have been issues with the batting order, with the best batters held back instead of trying to push the run rate. Krunal Pandya, Nicolas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, and Deepak Hooda have all been inconsistent with the bat.

The bowling has also been inconsistent, with Mark Wood performing well but struggling with fitness. In his absence, Avesh Khan, Marcus Stoinis, and Krunal Pandya have struggled, and while Naveen ul-Haq has bowled tightly, he hasn't been able to take wickets consistently.

Despite having a deep squad, the Super Giants need to reassess their strategy and approach to turn their season around.

KL Rahul (c), Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-Haq

The Mohali pitch is conducive to batting and should allow the batsmen to hit their shots easily. However, the spinners may experience some turns as the match progresses, and the faster bowlers may find some movement. Additionally, the outfield is large and hitting big shots may be challenging, especially if the playing surface is closer to the centre of the square. It is expected that a total above 180 will be challenging to chase. The weather forecast is clear, with temperatures ranging between 25-30 degrees Celsius. While both teams are evenly matched, we believe that the Punjab Kings have a slight advantage due to their home conditions and their recent win that should have boosted their confidence. Meanwhile, the Super Giants have been struggling with their batting and morale may be a concern for them as they take the field.