IPL 2021 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings - BONS preview, head to head, where to watch, and betting tips

10/03/2021

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will square off against Punjab Kings in match 48 of IPL 2021 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 3. Royal Challengers Bangalore outplayed Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in their last game while Punjab Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 5 wickets.

BONS Preview

Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB) will be up against Punjab Kings(PBKS) looking to get two points from the fixture and cement their position in the race to playoffs. For PBKS, they desperately need a win to be in contention for the fourth spot and earn a place in the playoffs.

RCB will be oozing with confidence as they have found the winning momentum with two wins from their last two games. In their previous fixture, RCB beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 7 wickets. Bowling first, RCB bowlers restricted the opposition to a total of 149/9 in 20 overs. Harshal Patel was once again the pick of the bowlers as he dismissed 3 batsmen for 34 runs in his spell. Yuzvendra Chahal was brilliant and he picked a couple of wickets for 18 runs. Chasing the target turned out to be an easy task for RCB as they completed it in 17.1 overs. Glenn Maxwell scored an unbeaten half-century. Maxwell regaining his form is a positive development for RCB but the form of AB de Villiers is still an area of concern. Contributions from Mohammed Siraj and other pacers can also do wonders for the team.

PBKS will also be looking to give it their all to qualify for the playoffs after beating an upbeat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 5 wickets. Bowling first, they restricted KKR for 165 with Arshdeep Singh picking 3 wickets while Ravi Bishnoi also dismissed a couple of batsmen by giving away just 22 runs. Chasing the target, KL Rahul played a captain’s knock of 67 runs and was dismissed in the last over. Shahrukh Khan scored the winning runs for the team. Punjab should look to do away with their habit of taking the matches to the final over. The middle-order consisting of Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda will have to provide momentum towards the end capitalise on the foundation laid by openers. Also, a fourth bowler after Shami, Arshdeep and Bishnoi will have to bring his A-game.

Form Guide

Royal Challengers Bangalore - W W L L L

Two wins from five games is a disappointing record for the team that has aspirations to win the title. But the two victories in their last two games have handed them the winning momentum which was essential going forward. The form of AB de Villiers is a flaw to address for the team. Also, their pace attack except Harshal Patel has not been very effective in the second leg of the tournament.

Punjab Kings - W L W L L

Two wins from the last five games show a lack of consistency in the performance of the team. Their batting order has not clicked together so far and so the onus to score runs relies majorly on the shoulders of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. The way Shahrukh Khan played in the last game, he can be the finisher for the team and the franchise should persist with him in the playing eleven.

Head to head

Both these teams have played 27 fixtures against each other. PBKS have won the contest on 15 occasions while RCB won 12 matches among these two. Also, both the teams have an average score for 159 runs (approximately) against each other.

Virat Kohli has scored 716 runs against PBKS while KL has scored 412 runs in 7 matches versus RCB. Yuzvendra Chahal has picked 22 wickets against PBKS.

BONS Royal Challengers Bangalore Predicted XI

Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Daniel Christian, George Garton, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

BONS Punjab Kings Predicted XI

KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Fabian Allen, Nathan Ellis, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

BONS Match Prediction

With Kohli, Padikkal, Maxwell and Bharat among runs, the RCB batting lineup looks strong, making them favourites going into the match.

Pitch Report

Sharjah Cricket Stadium has slowed down a bit and batting on the surface has become tricky even in the afternoon games. The ball does not skid on the surface and so it is difficult for batsmen who like to play shots on the rise. Team winning the toss should opt to bat first as batting can get more difficult while chasing. Also, the spinners will play a key role in this game.