Indian Premier League 2023: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – 27th Match Preview and Updates

Cricket

Royal Challengers Bangalore will face the hosts Punjab Kings in a desperate attempt to climb the rankings in Mohali. Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell had set up RCB for a big win as they chased 227 runs.

Even after they were dismissed, the target of 46 off 24 with 6 wickets in hand was easily achievable at the venue. In their most recent match, Punjab Kings defeated LSG by a narrow margin.

They lost 8 wickets on their way to 161 runs, and if it hadn’t been for Shahrukh Khan’s 23 off 10 balls at the end, Punjab might not have won. PBKS posted a competitive total against KKR in their first game in Mohali, where the openers got off to a flying start.

They have, however, struggled to reach a respectable total since then. The pitch at this venue is conducive to batting, and teams have chased down 180+ totals in the IPL. Faf du Plessis and company will have an advantage in that regard, while the home team will rely on its bowlers to do the job.

The 27th Match between Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore will take place on April 20th, 2023 at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.

Match Details to Note

Match: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 27th Match, Indian Premier League 2023

Date: April 20, 2023 (Thursday)

Time: 3:30 PM IST

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Punjab Kings (Match Odds – 2.10):

Preview:

Punjab Kings will play their third home game in Mohali. Punjab lost two of their next three matches after getting off to a winning start with two straight wins.

While they are currently ranked fifth in the points table, ahead of RCB, their batting has not been in the best shape. Prior to their victory over LSG, PBKS managed only 153-8 and 143-9 batting first against GT and SRH.

The batting collapse against the Sunrisers was massive, and Dhawan’s unbeaten 99 helped PBKS reach 143 runs. Since then, the Punjab Kings’ batting struggles have continued.

Prabhsimran Singh is out of form and will be a major concern for the home team in this game. In recent games, Matthew Short at number three has looked in good touch and delivered a few good knocks.

As no other batters are consistent, PBKS would expect Short to stay on the mound longer and play more innings. Sikandar Raza is a good middle-order option, and Punjab would keep him in place of Rajapaksa. Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, and Kagiso Rabada are all consistent pacers in the side, and we believe they will provide timely breakthroughs.

Full Squad:

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh

Players to watch out for:

Shikhar Dhawan

The left-handed opener and skipper for Punjab Kings has been in excellent form this season. In this match, he will look to add to his two half-centuries in the IPL 2023.

Sikandar Raza

The Zimbabwean has been in and out of the side this tournament, but he should keep his spot after hitting a half-century and taking a wicket in Saturday’s Player of the Match performance.

Kagiso Rabada

After taking his 100th IPL wicket in the previous game, the South African enters this match after taking 2-34 against Lucknow Super Giants.

Possible Playing XI:

Prabhsimran Singh, Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rishi Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Match Odds – 1.82):

Preview:

In their most recent match against CSK, Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered their second home defeat of the season. RCB lost for the second time despite scoring 200+ runs.

One can blame the venue for games like this, where the bowlers have nothing going for them and it all comes down to big-hitting ability. In terms of bat-and-ball competition, Mohali is a far superior venue.

Hasaranga and Maxwell will enjoy their time on this surface in Mohali. Maxwell has previously played for the Punjab Kings and has plenty of experience on this ground.

He’s in great shape and appears to be confident of crossing the finish line. In the RCB setup, he will be a key player to keep an eye on. This season, Virat Kohli has been outstanding at the top of the RCB lineup.

The RCB openers are in fantastic form and can get the team off to a great start. However, regardless of how well these three batsmen are performing, the RCB must be wary of their reliance on them.

If Rabada and Curran get rid of Kohli and Faf du Plessis early in the innings, RCB will be in big trouble.RCB should stick with Wayne Parnell despite his failure in his last outing because he is a good all-round option.

Full Squad:

Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Suyash Prabhudessai, Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, Finn Allen, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, David Willey, Karn Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood, Siddarth Kaul, Akash Deep, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Michael Bracewell, Manoj Bhandage, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, Sonu Yadav

Players to watch out for:

Virat Kohli

The former captain has three half-centuries in the tournament and is looking to make amends after being dismissed in the first over on Monday.

Glenn Maxwell

The Australian all-rounder made an impact with both the bat and the ball against the Chennai Super Kings. He took a wicket and scored 76 runs off 36 balls.

Mohammed Siraj

The right-arm pace bowler has been outstanding this season in the IPL, and he was the only player on his team to keep his economy rate under 10 in the final game.

Possible Playing XI:

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Wayne Parnell, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Head to Head

Punjab Kings have defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in five of the last six meetings. During the 2022 IPL, they won by five wickets and 54 runs.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Head to Head Stats in IPL

	Matches Played	PBKS Won	RCB Won	Tie	NR
Overall	30	17	13	0	0
Last 5	5	4	1	0	0

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Toss Prediction

The conditions at this venue are ideal for chasing, as evidenced by teams batting second winning 33 of the 58 domestic T20s. Even though they lost their last game, RCB would still like to chase a total. And Punjab aren’t in great shape to bat first and post a match-winning total.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Pitch Report

The Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali will host this match. This will be the third game at this location this season. The average first-innings score on this ground is 166 runs, and we believe 190+ would be a match-winning total.

The pitch at this Mohali venue isn’t as fast as it once was, but it still provides excellent support for batters. This ground has seen some spectacular batting performances in the IPL, including Punjab’s season opener. On the day of the match, there will be isolated thunderstorms in Mohali, with a high of 27 degrees Celsius.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Prediction

Punjab Kings are in desperate need of a middle-order comeback. While Dhawan can lead them to victory with a captain’s knock, his opening partner is out of form, and the middle order has been quiet. This puts them at a disadvantage against a team like RCB, which boasts the best T20 talent in their top-order. Punjab’s best bet is its bowling attack. Overall, RCB has the upper hand in this match with an all-round squad that includes a number of impact players, and they will begin as favourites in our match prediction. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

Royal Challengers Bangalore is the favourite to beat Punjab Kings at the odds of 1.82.