Overview
Twice already this season, Royal Challengers Bangalore have scored well in excess of 200, and still lost the game. While that tells you a lot about the pitches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it also speaks volumes of the team’s struggle with the ball. It really doesn’t matter how many runs Faf du Plessis or Virat Kohli make, if the bowlers are incapable of putting any sort of pressure on the opposition.
Mohammed Siraj has been quite magnificent, taking eight wickets and conceding just seven runs an over in his five outings. But there isn’t a single other bowler who has played more than a couple of games with an economy rate under 9. In contrast, four of Punjab Kings’ regulars have economy rates under 9, while Nathan Ellis and Kagiso Rabada have also made an impact on bat-friendly surfaces.
Dig a little deeper, and Bangalore have problems with their batting depth too. Apart from Kohli, du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, no batter has made more than 40 runs. Dinesh Karthik’s brisk 28-run cameo against Chennai was his first decent contribution of the season. In that respect, the two teams are in the same boat, with Punjab so heavily reliant on Shikhar Dhawan for runs and impetus. They will definitely hope that he has recovered enough to play after missing the last game with a niggle.
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Liam Livingstone could start for the first time for Punjab, with Sikandar Raza keeping his place after a star turn in Lucknow. It could be Matthew Short that makes way instead. For Bangalore, Josh Hazlewood is now with the team, but at least a couple of matches away from starting. The choice in front of them is whether to keep faith in Wayne Parnell or turn to David Willey.
Venue and Time
Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. 3.30 PM
Expected conditions and toss
The weather could be slightly overcast at the start of play, with a temperature of around 31C. Pitches in Mohali have usually needed scores in excess of 180 for a team to win. Even though dew won’t be a factor with the afternoon start, both sides are likely to prefer to chase.
Head-to-Head
Punjab lead this rivalry 17-13, but it’s Bangalore that have won 4 of their 7 games in Mohali.
Possible XIs and Impact Player Watch
Though he has gone off the boil after a sprightly start, Punjab should continue to consider Prabhsimran Singh as their Impact Player while batting second. If they’re forced to defend a total, it will likely be Rahul Chahar that comes into the XI.
Bangalore are likely to use Suyash Prabhudessai as their Impact Player while chasing a target. He will probably replace either Vijaykumar Vyshak or Akash Deep, depending on who gets the nod to play.
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (C), Prabhsimran Singh, , Harpreet Singh, Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Wayne Parnell, Mohammed Siraj, Vijaykumar Vyshak.
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