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Punjab Kings (PBKS) will look to end the unexpected wining streak at home and get back to their playoffs qualification path when they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The Rajat Patidar-led RCB need just a win to cement their playoffs berth. A win will ensure they remain at the top of the points table irrespective of what happens in the Rajasthan Royals (RR) versus Delhi Capitals (DC) clash later in the day.
Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Head-to-Head record
RCB have slight edge over PBKS, winning 19 out of 37 games. This will be their first clash of the season. In the previous edition, RCB lost to PBKS once and then registered a hat-trick of wins to lift the title.
Punjab Kings Predicted Playing XI
PBKS may consider dropping Marco Jansen as he has struggled with both bat and ball. Jansen has just seven wickets from 12 games at an average of 64.28. They have Vijaykumar Vyshak as an option to replace him in the side. Also, they can hand Australian all-rounder Mitchell Owen his first game of the season.
PBKS Probable Playing XI plus impact player - Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen/Vijaykumar Vyshak/Mitchell Owen, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Predicted Playing XI
With Phil Salt still unavailable, RCB face a dilemma. They have the option to hand debut cap to Jordan Cox as Jacob Bethell has not excelled in six games he has played. Also, RCB may replace Jacob Duffy with their new recruit, Nuwan Thushara's replacement Richard Gleeson. There may be a toss up between Venkatesh Iyer and Romario Shepherd as Dharamsala’s pitch is not too two-paced.
RCB Probable Playing XI plus impact player - Jacob Bethell/Jordan Cox, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy/Richard Gleeson, Josh Hazlewood.
Dharamsala weather report
Rain is unlikely to play spoilsport in the game. It is expected to be sunny for most of the time of the day game.
Key players to watch out in PBKS vs RCB
Once again, Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the key to RCB's win in Dharamsala. Both have been in fine form this season. Bhuvneshwar can make life tough for PBKS top order. Also, Josh Hazlewood has an impressive record against skipper Shreyas Iyer. For PBKS, Arshdeep Singh can cause damage to the top order. He has been successful four times against an in-form no.3 batter Devdutt Padikkal.
Dharamsala pitch report
The Dharamsala pitch has offered assistance for pacers but it has been a high-scoring ground as well. While RCB don't have a dearth for talented pacers, PBKS may follow a different approach as their prominent pacers haven't been in the best of form.
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