The fixture between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be the 27th encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh tonight at 7:30 PM IST.
Punjab currently occupy the eighth position in the league standings, while Rajasthan reign supreme at the top of the table.
The home team enters this match following a narrow two-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Captain Shikhar Dhawan and Sam Curran have spearheaded the team’s batting efforts and have been the top performers. While Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Sikandar Raza have displayed glimpses of their destructive potential, consistency remains a challenge. The injury to Liam Livingstone further disrupts the team’s balance. On the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh have been the primary wicket-takers.
The visitors suffered their maiden loss of the season at the hands of Gujarat Titans (GT). The team’s opening partnership, featuring Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, continues to be a cause for concern. However, captain Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag are consistent and are the leading run scorers, with power-hitting at the death provided by Shimron Hetmyer. Their bowling attack boasts a well-balanced combination, with the performances of Trent Boult and Nandre Burger in the powerplay complementing the experience of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin in the middle overs. The addition of Keshav Maharaj further strengthens the unit’s spin attack, arguably making it the best in the league.
Head-to-Head:
PBKS and RR share a rich history, having clashed in 26 IPL matches the former witnessed victory on 11 occasions, while the latter holds a slight edge with 15 wins.
Where-to-Watch:
OTT: JioCinema