The Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, missed the play-offs in 2019 due to net run rate, however that was insufficient for head coach Mike Hesson to keep his job.
Numerous players who have flourished in the IPL since Hesson’s squad for that season, many of them for other franchises, were part of it. Sam Curran played his first IPL game. In the middle of the order, David Miller and Nicholas Pooran batted.
As captain, R Ashwin. Up top, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal flourished. Arshdeep Singh, a rookie, participated in his maiden T20 match at the professional level.
Hesson may have been on to something in the long run, but given Kings’ IPL history, they never got the chance to find out.
He began a new position the following year as director of cricket for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and in each of the three seasons he has been in charge, RCB has advanced to the playoffs. While Kings have fallen short in each of the three.
Hesson, though, returns to Mohali on Thursday afternoon under pressure. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) can ill-afford to lose their fourth game of the season after coming up just short in their attempt to break the record run chase against Chennai Super Kings on Monday night.
Kings, however, are riding high after defeating Lucknow SuperGiants on their own field on Saturday night.
Shikhar Dhawan underwent a fitness test at Wednesday’s Kings training session, but it is still unclear whether he is healthy enough to play. Curran, who served as captain in lieu, stated at the toss before their triumph in Lucknow, “I don’t know how bad it is, but hopefully it’s not too long.”
After injuring a muscle, thought to be his hamstring, while practicing his batting in the nets, Liam Livingstone traveled to India over a week ago but has yet to play for Kings.
He may be ready soon, judging on a recent cryptic Instagram photo that featured linked fingers and palms in prayer. His recovery is believed to be complete, and he might be eligible to play on Thursday.
Josh Hazlewood has landed in India but is still undergoing treatment, so it seems doubtful that he will play right now. In his absence, Wayne Parnell appears to be the team’s primary option for an overseas seamer, however David Willey presents a strong alternative.
Since 2018, IPL games at Mohali have had an average first-innings total of 175 runs, although winning first-innings averages are 186. Kings defeated Gujarat Titans in their second home game after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in their first, with a 191-run defense (via DLS). There is a probability of rain, although the weather will be warm.
The balance of the Kings will rely on whether Dhawan is well and whether they feel they need to fill in for him with a different domestic batter. If healthy, Livingstone would be a comparable replacement for Sikandar Raza, though there is a chance that both play and Matthew Short withdraws.
In their most recent match, Raza was named Player of the Match after scooping up a wicket and making 57 off just 41 balls. Rahul Chahar will likely replace Prabhsimran Singh if Kings want to bat first and vice versa if they elect to bowl first.
Vijaykumar Vyshak, who dazzled on debut against Delhi Capitals but struggled against Chennai Super Kings, is a player RCB must decide whether to keep. They can go back to AkashDeep if they decide to exclude him.
As a result of his cameo, Suyash Prabhudessai will have a run in the middle order and is likely to be engaged in their Impact Player move, either replacing or being replaced by a domestic bowler.
Punjab Possible XII: 1 Shikhar Dhawan/Atharva Taide, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Matthew Short, 4 Harpreet Singh, 5 Liam Livingstone/Sikandar Raza, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Shahrukh Khan, 9 Harpreet Brar, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Rahul Chahar, 12 Arshdeep Singh
Banglore Possible XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Mahipal Lomror, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Suyash Prabhudessai, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Shahbaz Ahmad, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Wayne Parnell, 11 Akash Deep/Vijaykumar Vyshak, 12 Mohammed Siraj