Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings both had calm auctions. Unlike the Royals, the Kings went all out for Sam Curran before signing five more players.
Both teams have had notable matchups. Rahul Tewatia completed the most successful IPL chase in Sharjah, and Kartik Tyagi defended just four runs in Dubai.
Both teams have superstars for IPL 2023. We mix the two rosters to pick the best XI.
Jos Buttler and Shikhar Dhawan
Jos Buttler, England’s T20 World Cup captain, can play in any T20 XI. The Royals opener got four hundreds in IPL 2022 to earn the Orange Cap.
PBKS released Mayank Agarwal and named Shikhar Dhawan captain for IPL 2023. The 37-year-old veteran opener was dropped from the Indian ODI team, but he’s experienced. The pair can also play left-right in certain situations.
Sanju Samson (c), Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone (wk)
Sanju Samson’s captaincy of Rajasthan past season was praised by experts. Samson is an outstanding spin batter, and Liam Livingstone at No. 4 is the ideal combo to oppose middle overs. The two previously played for the Royals, but Livingstone is currently at PBKS.
Jitesh Sharma, who had a breakout season in 2018, will join him. Jitesh, who hit 234 runs at a 163.63 strike rate in 2022, also keeps wicket, allowing Samson and Buttler’s quick fielding to add value.
Sam Curran, Jason Holder, Ravichandran PBKS spent 18.5 crore for Ashwin Curran at the IPL 2023 auction, a record. As the T20 World Cup 2022 Player of the Tournament, he brings left-arm variation with bat and ball.
Royals’ IPL 2023 auction signing of Jason Holder was smart. He not only lengthens the batting order but also bowls in the powerplay and middle overs. Holder and Curran complete the team’s foreign quota.
Three all-rounders who bowl well give flexibility to this XI. Arshdeep Singh, the attack’s captain, bowls death overs with Curran.
Arshdeep’s yorkers at the end will let Yuzvendra Chahal to press for wickets. Last year’s Purple Cap winner took 27 wickets and helped RR reach the final.
Prasidh Krishna, a fast seamer, completes the attack. His hard-length offers this unit a comprehensive, all-conditions look.
IPL 2023 PBKS-RR XI
Jos Buttler, Shikhar Dhawan, Sanju Samson (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishnane IPL 2022 campaign. His increasing batting in the shortest format allows him to be utilised as a pinch-hitter, and his off-spinner expertise is well-known. As the Kings XI Punjab, Ashwin captained PBKS.
Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna
