IPL 2023: Punjab Kings players meet birthday boy Allu Arjun in Hyderabad

After two back-to-back wins against Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings have travelled to Hyderabad for their next assignment in IPL 2023. The franchise will take on the Aiden Markram-led side on April 9, ahead of that, many of Punjab Kings’ players were spotted spending some quality time with Superstar Allu Arjun on his birthday.

Players like Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar were spotted taking pictures with the actor as they later shared on their social media platforms. Notably, Chahar had a fairly decent outing with the ball in the opening match of the Kings. During his two-over spell, Chahar conceded 12 runs and scalped a wicket.

Consequently, after having posted a mammoth total of 191/5 on the board, Punjab Kings managed to win the rain-marred game by seven runs (via DLS Method) against the KKR. Thereafter, they continued their winning ways against the Rajasthan Royals as well. Now, before the Kings go ahead with their third match, their players spent some quality time off the field.

‘Who better to meet in Hyderabad, Allu Arjun,’ Chahar wrote on his Instagram after meeting the Pushpa star. The picture soon went viral on various social media platforms because of the actor’s popularity.

Kagiso Rabada available for selection against SRH

Due to international commitments, ace pacer, Kagiso Rabada, missed the first couple of games of the season. Replacing him, Nathan Ellis has already made a huge impact as the Australia international is currently fourth in the IPL Purple Cap race. The 28-year-old has picked up five wickets from two matches so far and it will thus be interesting to see if PBKS backs him for the match against SRH or if they bring back Rabada because of his experience.

On the other hand, Liam Livingstone is yet to receive his NOC from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The all-rounder is expected to join the squad in the third week of April, but it’s still unclear when he’ll be fit to play his first game of the season. Replacing him, Sikandar Raza has looked out of colour, as the Zimbabwe-based cricketer is yet to make a significant contribution.

Meanwhile, skipper Shikhar Dhawan is in sublime form at the moment and will be very crucial against SRH, who are yet to win a single match in the competition. Aiden Markram made his return to the playing XI but their batting still looked really poor against Lucknow Super Giants. Thus, in order to register their first win of the season, the team will have to improve a lot in the upcoming match.