PBKS v RR: The 66th match of the Indian Premier League 2023 will have Punjab Kings take on Rajasthan Royals at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Punjab Kings lost their match against Delhi Capitals by 15 runs and made their life difficult in the race to the top four.
They still have a chance to qualify if they win this game by a big margin and, thereby, improve their net run rate. Delhi Capitals hammered them 213 runs in the first innings and Punjab fell 15 runs short of the target.
The decision to bowl the last over to a spinner proved costly at the end for Punjab. The next match is scheduled to be played at this very ground and you can expect a run-fest. Against a quality bowling lineup of Rajasthan, Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh need to ensure that the team get to a good start.
Atharva Taide scored a half-century in the last match. Liam Livingstone hit form, which is also an ominous sign for the team. He produced a sensational knock of 94 runs in just 48 balls, including 5 fours and 9 sixes. The Englishman will be a player to watch out for.
With the ball, Kagiso Rabada and Nathan Ellis will have the responsibility to pick wickets, while Sam Curran also needs to step up the plate and produce goods with both bat and ball.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are sitting sixth on the table with 6 wins in 13 matches. They too need to play out their skins and produce a dominant win to have a chance in the top-four.
Rajasthan too are coming off a defeat and would be looking to win their last league game. Batters are in supreme form. On a good batting track, you expect the likes of Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson to go all guns blazing.
They had a forgettable outing in the last match and would be rearing to make amends. Joe Root too will have an opportunity to add some runs under his belt. With the ball, Trent Boult would be crucial in the powerplay when the ball would be swinging, while Yuzvendra Chahal’s four overs are going to be vital to the team’s fortune on a small ground at Dharamsala.
PBKS v RR Predicted XI
Here’s a look at the predicted playing XIs of both teams
Punjab Kings
Shikhar Dhawan(C), Shahrukh Khan, SM Curran, A Taide, LS Livingstone, JM Sharma(wk), RD Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, K Rabada
Rajasthan Royals
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, JE Root, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jos Buttler, SV Samson(C), DC Jurel, Trent Boult, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma
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