In the 66th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will host Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
The Kings are having 12 points from 13 games and are positioned eighth in the points table. What looked like a decent tournament for the 2014 IPL finalists, now are in must-win situations. PBKS have a difficult chance, with their NRR sliding to -0.308 after the defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC), and they need a major win and some significant losses for rivals who might finish up with 14 points to stay alive and qualify for the playoffs. The Kings, dragged down by the pace unit and some strategic inaccuracies ended up allowing 213 against the Capitals, with the powerplay and death bowling falling short. PBKS must pull up their socks and devise a strategy quickly against the Jaipur-based team that includes some really good hitters, who had a terrific hit out during the nets as they eradicated the fence with ease on a frequent basis. Fans would still believe in Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh despite their failures in the previous encounter. Furthermore, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan and others must improve their game in order to provide PBKS with a solid finish with the bat. If PBKS are chasing tonight, they would need to get the total in certain overs to outrun RCB in terms of net run rate.
The Royals, on the other hand, who had been at the top of the standings at one time in the campaign, are now facing an early exit after winning only two of their last eight matches. Even the first-ever IPL champs have 12 points in 13 games. A high-scoring game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was wedged between two poor batting displays in which they were bowled out for 118 against Gujarat Titans (GT) and bundled for 59 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), recording the third-lowest total in the IPL. RR, who will be looking to put up a strong batting performance, have the ideal setting. Although the Royals were beaten by the Royal Challengers, their NRR remains strong, and a good win over the Kings might give them a serious opportunity if the 14-point scenario plays out. While Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult remain in good form, it is up to the batters to deliver. Both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson must perform admirably, while Yashasvi Jaiswal must forget his knock against RCB and resume his form tonight.
Head-to-head:
RR have the better hand in the head-to-head match between the two teams. The two teams played 25 games, with Rajasthan winning 14 and Punjab winning 11 times. In their last outing, which took place earlier this season, PBKS won the game by five runs.
Where-to-Watch:
OTT: JioCinema