PBKS vs KKR: Start of second innings delayed due to floodlight failure

The start of the second innings of the second match of the Indian Premier League 2023 between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders was delayed after floodlight failure at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium (PCA) in Mohali. After a succesfull first innings, the second innings started over 20-25 minutes late.

Winning the toss, Kolkata Knight Riders opted to bowl first. While the two-time champions were coming into the game under Nitish Rana's leadership in the absence of regular skipper Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings saw a new skipper taking over this time in the form of senior pro Shikhar Dhawan.

PBKS openers Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Dhawan took the side to a decent start before the former was sent packing by Tim Southee. Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa then steadied the innings as they stitched up an 86-run partnership for the second wicket. 

Umesh Yadav then dismissed Rajapaksa, which also marked his 34th wicket against PBKS, the highest by any bowler against a single opponent in the history of IPL. Rajapaksa walked off scoring 50 off 32 deliveries, and Dhawan finished with a 29-ball 40. 

Combined efforts from the middle-order batters Jitesh Sharma (21 off 11), Sikander Raza (16 off 13), Sam Curran (26* off 17), and Shahrukh Khan (11* off 7) helped Punjab Kings reach 191/5 in their alloted 20-over quota. KKR's Tim Southee finished with two wickets to his name, while Umesh Yadav, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy finsihed with one wicket each to their name.

After the innings break, as the two sides walked in to resume the game, a failure in the venue's floodlights led to all the players walking back to the dugout. The game resumed after a brief halt, but the extra break did no good for the visitors as while chasing the 192-run target, they lost two big wickets within the first two overs as Arshdeep Singh sent Mandeep Singh and Anukul Roy back to the pavilion in the same over giving major upper-hand to the hosts.