3 player battles to watch out for in KKR vs PBKS, Match 53 in IPL 2023

The 53rd IPL 2023 match will see the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) lock horns at the iconic Eden Gardens on Monday, May 8.

Both teams have had a start-stop campaign this year. PBKS and KKR are reeling in seventh and eighth positions, respectively, in the standings and will look to put their season back on track with a win tonight.

Punjab's confidence took a massive jolt when they failed to defend 214 runs against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last game. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav took the PBKS bowlers to the cleaners to gun down the target with seven balls to spare.

KKR, on the other hand, secured a scintillating victory in their last game against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Varun Chakravarthy defended nine runs in the final over to help his side earn two crucial points. The Knight Riders will hope to keep their winning run going and keep themselves in the hunt for a playoff berth.

With both teams eyeing the two points on offer, an exciting contest is one the cards in Kolkata. The game will also witness a couple of matchups and player battles.

On that note, let's take a look at three player battles to watch out for in the KKR vs PBKS tie.

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#1 Andre Russell vs Rahul Chahar

KKR all-rounder Andre Russell was expected to provide some much-needed impetus in the lower order this season. However, he has hardly lived up to the expectations, accumulating only 166 runs in 10 matches at a paltry average of 20.75.

The Caribbean cricketer has looked vulnerable against leg-spinners, getting out to leggies four times this season. Hence, his matchup with PBKS leg-spinner Rahul Chahar will be an interesting watch.

While the young spinner is yet to dismiss him, Russell has struggled to play his shots against Chahar, scoring only 34 runs off 24 balls.

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#2 Nathan Ellis vs Venkatesh Iyer

Nathan Ellis has been one of PBKS' leading bowlers in IPL 2023. He has picked up nine wickets in six matches, including a four-wicket haul against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

His impact has been so much that Punjab have often left out Kagiso Rabada to accommodate the Australian pacer.

Ellis will be up against KKR's top-order batter Venkatesh Iyer. The southpaw has been in good form but his struggle against short-pitch deliveries hasn't gone unnoticed.

Ellis will look to target Iyer's weakness, making for an enticing battle on Monday.

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#3 Shikhar Dhawan vs Varun Chakravarthy

PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan had a great start to his IPL 2023 campaign and was the leading run-scorer at one stage. However, he has struggled to get going since his return from injury.

The senior batter got starts in the last couple of games but failed to convert them into significant scores and will be desperate to play a big knock against KKR.

The Knight Riders, on the other hand, will look to keep Dhawan silent and introduce Varun Chakravarthy inside the powerplay. The mystery spinner has dismissed Dhawan three times in five outings and holds an edge over the left-handed batter.