Both PBKS and RCB find themselves tied on eight points with just three games remaining.
Overview
The upcoming match on Thursday holds significant importance as the winning team will keep their slim playoff hopes alive, while the losing team will join Mumbai Indians as the second team to be eliminated this season.
RCB has showcased a remarkable transformation in their batting performance between their first six matches and their recent five matches. Since their close defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB’s batting unit has significantly improved. Even their lowest score in the last five games, 152 runs while chasing 148 against Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru, indicates their newfound strength. The return of Faf du Plessis to form and the stability in the top four, comprising Virat Kohli, du Plessis, Will Jacks, and Rajat Patidar, have played crucial roles in this resurgence.
Du Plessis has scored two half-centuries in the last five matches, boosting RCB’s scoring rate in the initial overs. Their run rate during the powerplay in the last five matches (12.3) surpasses their performance in the first six matches (8.27). This improvement has allowed players like Jacks and Patidar to take charge during the middle overs. Despite occasional risks resulting in wickets, RCB has benefitted, as reflected in their run rate. Moreover, with stronger spin-hitters in the lineup, their scoring rate in the middle overs has risen to 11.03 since April 15, compared to 8.41 before that. This batting resurgence has also freed Kohli to play more freely, evident in his increased strike rate from 141.77 in the first six games to 158.15 in the last five matches. This favorable form sets the stage for RCB’s upcoming match against PBKS.
PBKS have shown strength while playing away but have struggled at home. They have played in three different home venues in the last two seasons – Mohali, Dharamsala, and the newly added Mullanpur, which is the highest number for any team. In IPL 2024, they have won three out of five away games but only one out of six at home. PBKS have the lowest percentage of home wins in the last two seasons, and their final match against RCB marks the end of their stint in Dharamsala for IPL 2024.
Team Updates and Key Players Strategy
Punjab Kings : Shikhar Dhawan will be absent for the match in Dharamsala, so Punjab Kings are likely to stick with the same lineup that has brought them success in two of their last three games.
Probable Playing XII:
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Jonny Bairstow
- Rilee Rossouw
- Shashank Singh
- Jitesh Sharma (wk)
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Sam Curran (capt)
- Harpreet Brar
- Harshal Patel
- Kagiso Rabada
- Rahul Chahar
- Arshdeep Singh
Royal Challengers Bengaluru : After Glenn Maxwell’s return in the previous match against Gujarat Titans, where he took a wicket but didn’t bat, he faced a dismissal for a duck in the reverse fixture. RCB might continue with him or opt for Reece Topley, who offers variations suitable for the surface, especially considering the assistance for slower bowlers observed in the PBKS-CSK match. Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal appear to be the probable substitutes once again.
Probable Playing XII:
- Virat Kohli
- Faf du Plessis (capt)
- Will Jacks
- Rajat Patidar
- Glenn Maxwell
- Cameron Green
- Dinesh Karthik (wk)
- Swapnil Singh
- Karn Sharma
- Mohammed Siraj
- Vijaykumar Vyshak
- Yash Dayal
Recent Track Record
Punjab Kings [PBK] :[ L , W , W , L , L]
Royal Challengers Bengaluru [RCB] :[ W , W , W , L , L]
In the limelight
Before his IPL debut, Will Jacks predominantly opened the innings in T20s, with 131 out of his 155 innings in that role. However, at RCB, he has been assigned the No. 3 position and has shown glimpses of making it his own, despite having mixed results. Out of six innings, four have resulted in single-digit scores, while in the other two, he showcased his potential with scores of 55 and an unbeaten 100. Facing a bowling attack that has proven to be the second most economical (8.33 compared to Chennai Super Kings’ 8.07) in the first 16 overs (powerplay and middle overs), and the most economical in the first ten overs in IPL 2024, Jacks will face a challenging task.
In the previous encounter between PBKS and RCB, Harpreet Brar emerged as the most economical bowler for PBKS, delivering impressive figures of 2 for 13 in a high-scoring game. Despite RCB scoring at over nine runs per over, Brar managed to dismiss two of RCB’s key players, Patidar and Maxwell. Notably, RCB has struggled against left-arm orthodox bowlers in IPL 2024, with only Gujarat Titans scoring slower than them (strike rate of 111.87 compared to RCB’s 119.33). Brar has taken one-third of his 24 IPL wickets against RCB, making him a significant threat to their playoff aspirations.
Pitch Conditions and Statistics
In Dharamsala, captains winning the toss have often chosen to bowl in the three IPL matches held since last year, with only one instance resulting in a win for the toss-winning team. Even in PBKS’ recent match at the venue, Chennai Super Kings successfully defended a total of 167 runs. The temperature in Dharamsala is expected to be in the early twenties.
Important Stats:
- Jonny Bairstow has a stellar strike rate of 177.55 against RCB, his best against any IPL opposition. Additionally, he has dominated Mohammed Siraj, scoring 54 runs off 25 balls with just one dismissal in all T20 encounters between them.
- Kagiso Rabada has been successful against both Kohli and du Plessis, dismissing them four times each in all men’s T20s. While Kohli has a strike rate of 106.25 against him, du Plessis performs even better, scoring 66 runs off 47 balls at a strike rate of 140.42.
- Arshdeep Singh holds the second-worst economy rate (12.35) among bowlers who have bowled at least 60 balls at the death in IPL 2024. However, he stands out with eight wickets in this phase, the highest among PBKS bowlers. Dinesh Karthik boasts a remarkable strike rate of 231.42, the second-best among batters who have faced at least 60 balls in the last four overs. Arshdeep has dismissed Karthik three times in 27 balls, conceding 45 runs.
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