Punjab Kings (PBKS) continue their ongoing IPL 2024 campaign by taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Both sides will face off at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala in the 58th game of the tournament on Thursday, May 9. The winner of Thursday’s contest between PBKS and RCB will keep their slim hopes of making the playoffs alive, the loser will join Mumbai Indians as the second side to be eliminated this season.
PBKS and RCB are two teams who can only get as far as 14 points, meaning a host of other results need to go their way for qualification. Such has been the competitive nature of this year’s IPL that no team has officially been eliminated at the final leg of the league stage. Mumbai Indians, who have just four wins from 12 games, are also in with a shout, albeit a complicated one at that.
Over the years, 16 points has been enough to make the cut but with the expansion to ten teams, it is no longer the case, Which is why teams like KKR and RR wouldn’t want to relax despite sitting on 16 points.
PBKS vs RCB Previous Match Performances.
Punjab currently sits in eighth place in the standings with four wins and seven losses. They will hope to register a win against RCB and move up in the IPL 2024 standings. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have seemed to pick up their form. With four wins and seven losses in 11 games, RCB currently sits in seventh place in the standings, and they will hope to register their fourth consecutive win of the season.
PBKS are superb travelers but do not find much solace at home. They have had three home venues in the last two seasons – Mohali, Dharamsala and the newest addition Mullanpur – the most for any team. In IPL 2024, they have won three out of the five away games but only one in six at home. PBKS have the lowest percentage of home wins in the last two seasons, and their clash against RCB is their last in Dharamsala in IPL 2024.
RCB in their first six matches and in their last five matches are two different teams. Their batters have flicked a switch ever since they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by a mere 25 runs in a chase of 288. RCB’s lowest score in the last five games is the 152 they made chasing 148 against Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru. What’s helped them is Faf du Plessis coming back to form and a stable top four – comprising Virat Kohli, du Plessis, Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar.
Du Plessis has hit two fifties in the last five matches, and as a result, enabled RCB to score quicker in the first six overs. Their run-rate in the powerplay in the last five matches (12.3) is far superior to what it was in the first six (8.27).
This has allowed them to have the likes of Jacks and Patidar batting in the middle overs, because additional risks early on do sometimes result in wickets but those have worked in RCB’s favour, which again reflects in the run-rate. With better spin-hitters at the crease, they’re going at 11.03 in the middle overs in matches since April 15 as opposed to 8.41 in the games before that
The other effect of this batting resurgence is that Kohli, who has been consistent from the start of IPL 2024, is free to play as he wishes – evidenced by the jump in his strike rate from 141.77 (first six games) to 158.15 (last five matches). Which is all part of why this match against PBKS comes at perhaps the right time for RCB.
PBKS vs RCB Head to Head
There isn’t much to choose when it comes to the head-to-head stats between the two teams. The sides have faced each other 32 times with PBKS holding a slender 17-15 lead. RCB prevailed in the reverse fixture earlier this season in Bengaluru.
| Matches Played | 32 |
| Punjab Kings won | 17 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru Won | 15 |
| No Result | 00 |
PBKS vs RCB Pitch Report
In Dharamsala, captains winning the toss have opted to bowl in the three IPL matches since last year and only once have gone on to win the match. Even in the first game at the venue this season – PBKS’ previous outing – Chennai Super Kings managed to defend 167 successfully. The temperature in Dharamsala is forecast to be in the early twenties.
The surface at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala is one that is preferred by the bowlers, and with pacers getting help on the surface, a low-scoring encounter could be quite a possibility on such a pitch. Opting to bowl first and limiting the side to a subpar total could be a wise decision.
The first game of the season saw a surprisingly slower surface with help for seamers with the new ball and spinners with the older ball. However, that was a day game and the venue has historically seen more joy for batters in night games. This could mean a much better batting track on offer. There should still be some help on offer for the pacers with the new ball.
PBKS vs RCB Team news and Impact Player strategy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Glenn Maxwell returned to action after a long break and contributed a wicket in RCB’s win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad and wasn’t required with the bat. But in the reverse fixture, he fell for a duck to continue his lean run. RCB could persist with him or consider getting Reece Topley and his variations in on a surface which had assistance for the slower bowlers in the PBKS-CSK match. Patidar and Yash Dayal look to be the likely Impact Sub swap again.
PBKS vs RCB In the spotlight: Will Jacks and Harpreet Brar
Before his IPL debut, Jacks had played 131 of his 155 T20 innings as an opener. But at RCB, he has batted at No. 3 and made that spot his own even though he has had mixed returns. Four of his six innings have been single-digit scores while the other two knocks saw him score a 55 and a 100 not out. He’ll have his task cut out for him against a bowling attack that has been the second-most economical (8.33 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.
The last time PBKS played RCB, Brar was their most economical bowler, with scarcely believable figures of 2 for 13 in a game where the batting side scored at over nine an over. He nipped out two of RCB’s best players of spin in Patidar and Maxwell but they hadn’t put enough runs of the board for that to really matter. Only Gujarat Titans (strike rate of 111.87) score slower than RCB (119.33) against left-arm orthodox in IPL 2024. And Brar has one-third of his 24 IPL wickets against RCB. He is a big threat to their playoff hopes.
PBKS vs RCB Vital Stats that matters
Kagiso Rabada has dismissed Kohli and du Plessis four times each in all men’s T20s. While Kohli strikes him at 106.25, du Plessis does much better with 66 runs off 47 balls at 140.42.
Among bowlers who have bowled at least 60 balls at the death in IPL 2024, Arshdeep Singh’s economy rate of 12.35 is the second-worst. However, no PBKS bowler has more than his eight wickets in this phase. Now among batters who have faced at least 60 balls in the last four overs, Dinesh Karthik’s strike rate of 231.42 is the second-best. Arshdeep has managed to dismiss Karthik three times in 27 balls for 45 runs.
Jonny Bairstow strikes at 177.55 against RCB, his best against any opposition in the IPL. He also enjoys the upper hand in the duel with Mohammed Siraj: 54 runs in 25 balls for one dismissal in all T20s
PBKS vs RCB Probable Playing XI’s
Punjab Kings (PBKS):
Jonny Bairstow, Rilee Rossouw, Sam Curran (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar
Impact Substitute: Prabhsimran Singh
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (C), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Substitute: Swapnil Singh
PBKS VS RCB Fantasy Playing XI : Jonny Bairstow, Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (C), Will Jacks, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Dinesh Karthik (WK)
PBKS vs RCB Probable Best Players of the Match
Probable Best Batter: Virat Kohli
Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli could be the best batter in the upcoming game against Punjab Kings. With 542 runs in his last 11 matches, Kohli is one of the best performers in the tournament, and is the current Orange Cap holder, leading the run scorer charts.
Probable Best Bowler: Harshal Patel
Punjab Kings’ Harshal Patel could be the best bowler in the upcoming game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. With 17 wickets in his 11 matches, Harshal Patel is one of the highest wicket takers in the competition, and his performance could be crucial against RCB.
PBKS vs RCB Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Punjab Kings win the toss and bowl
Powerplay score – 60-70
First Innings Score – 180-190
Punjab Kings win the match
Scenario 2
Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the toss and bowl
Powerplay score – 50-60
First Innings Score – 170-180
Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the match