IPL 2021 | Blitzpools Prediction, Fantasy XI Tips & Probable XI for Punjab’s clash against Bangalore

ByBlitz, SportsCafe Editor

04/30/2021

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be witness to the first ever ‘Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Royal Challengers Bangalore lite’ contest as RCB take on PBKS on Friday. The two sides’ seasons have been as contrasting as it can get, but Punjab, usually, somehow turn up against RCB.

In the 2018 auction Punjab turned into a mini-RCB by purchasing a host of former RCB players but this season they’ve acknowledged the meme by changing their jersey to match RCB’s mid 2010s colour. The problem for them, though, is that they’ve still continued to play like Punjab. Bangalore, on the other hand, have proved that the IPL 2020 season was no fluke, and have been by some distance, alongside CSK, the best side in the competition. Punjab, last season, did the double over RCB, so expect the contest to be close even if it threatens to be one-sided on paper.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Form Guide

Punjab Kings - L W L L L W

Start. Stop. Start. Stop. For Punjab, IPL 2021 has been a season where they’ve simply struggled to take off. Much like IPL 2021, they have, at times, shown that they have the ammo to beat anyone on a given day but the lack of consistency has seen the side reel at the bottom half of the table. The victory against Mumbai was seen by many as an indicator that PBKS ‘were back’, but in their last game vs KKR, Punjab dished out one of their worst performances in two years. PBKS are inherently an unpredictable side and thus will be hoping for their key players to fire on Friday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore - W L W W W W

No one quite envisioned RCB winning 5 of their first 6 matches, but it has been that kind of season for the Reds - everything they’ve touched has turned into gold. The batting still remains susceptible but the presence of AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell has seen them over-power sides through sheer individual brilliance. In their previous encounter vs the Capitals, RCB showcased impressive mental fortitude and showed precisely why they need to be taken as serious title contenders this time around.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Head to Head

Total - 26

Punjab - 14

Bangalore - 12

No Result - 0

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Last Meeting

The last H2H clash between these two sides turned out to be comical. Entering the game on the back of a five-match losing streak, Punjab looked like they were going to chase down RCB’s 171 with two or three overs to spare, but then started enduring hiccups. 7 needed off 12 balls became 1 off 1 and eventually Punjab required a last ball six from Nicholas Pooran to take them over the line. Ignoring the nervous end, though, Punjab dominated RCB in all facets of the game and showed that day why they are renowned as one of the most dangerous sides in the competition.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Probable Playing XI

Punjab - KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Dawid Malan, Deepak Hooda, Moises Henriques, Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Bangalore - Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj