🏏IPL 2023: Match 27 - PBKS vs RCB on 20/04/2023 at 3:30 PM IST 🏏

🏏IPL 2023: Match 27 - PBKS vs RCB at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on 20/04/2023 at 3:30 PM IST 🏏

Tag & Logo Credit: Sevenstreaks

Dhawan and Livingstone in focus as Punjab Kings host RCB

Josh Hazlewood is likely to remain unavailable for Royal Challengers Bangalore

Punjab Kings, in their old guise as Kings XI Punjab, missed out on the play-offs on net run-rate in 2019 but that was not enough for Mike Hesson, their coach, to keep his job.

The squad that Hesson assembled for that season contained a number of players who have thrived in the IPL since then, though many of them for other franchises. Sam Curran made his IPL debut. Nicholas Pooran and David Miller batted in the middle order. R Ashwin captained. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal thrived up top. A rookie named Arshdeep Singh played his first T20s at a professional level.

Perhaps, with hindsight, Hesson was onto a good thing - but in keeping with Kings' IPL history, he did not last long enough for them to find out. The following season, he started a new role as director of cricket at Royal Challengers Bangalore and in each of the three seasons he has overseen, RCB have qualified for the play-offs. Kings, meanwhile, have missed out in all three.

Yet on Thursday afternoon, Hesson returns to Mohali feeling the pressure. After falling just short in their bid for a record run chase against Chennai Super Kings on Monday night, RCB can ill-afford to lose their fourth game of the season; Kings, meanwhile, are flying high after turning over Lucknow Super Giants on their own patch on Saturday night.

PBKS v RCB, post covid record says 5-1 in favour of Punjab. But expect RCB to win today. That's what's been happening. Everything defies Cricketing sense. 🤣

RR chased 112 in 8 overs vs defending champions and one of the best bowling attacks. 

Same RR failed to chase 60 odd runs in same 8 overs vs one of the weakest bowling lineup when wood doesn't play. 🤪🤣

Thank you, Raji, for the thread and for tagging me. 🤗 

I am supporting RCB. ⭐️

Best wishes to both the teams. 

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Pitch Report

The pitch at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium is a balanced track. The bowlers are expected to get some movement with the new ball. The slower deliveries will be effective on this surface and spinners are expected to play a major role while bowling there.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Weather Forecast

Temperatures in Mohali are expected to hover between 19 and 29 degrees Celsius. There is a 40% chance of rain on Thursday.

Thanks for the tag, Raji!❤️

Let see if Dhawan is back😆

Punjab Kings are sweating over the fitness of their captain Shikhar Dhawan and star allrounder Liam Livingstone as they return for a short trip home, in Mohali, to host plucky Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday (April 20). Ruled out of their thrilling two-wicket win in Lucknow with a shoulder injury, the 37-year-old Dhawan would be pleased with several unlikely heroes putting their hand up against LSG as they snapped their two-match losing streak.

PBKS may have three wins in five outings thus far, but are still looking to sustain the winning momentum. They kicked off their season with two wins on the trot but then went on to concede the next two. Part of the problem is personnel: While Livingstone is yet to play a game, sidelined yet again by a niggle (sustained during practice ahead of the Lucknow fixture), Kagiso Rabada has only just joined the side for the last two games. To add to that, Dhawan's injury now comes as a fresh blow for a side ailed by batting inconsistency.

He couldn't make a difference with the bat but Sam Curran led from the front in the bowling department, while the team found a new batting hero in Sikander Raza against LSG. Most pleasing though, would be the runs from the bat of their designated finisher Shahrukh Khan who had been backed despite an ordinary last season. The Tamil Nadu batter provided the finishing touches in his typical style to guide PBKS home at the Ekana Stadium and the team would be hoping this is only the beginning.

Curran, Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada have led the bowling superbly, making the PBKS attack one to watch out for. On the contrary, RCB's bowling - especially at death - has come in the spotlight once again. Mohammed Siraj has been a standout performer, but RCB has more often than not been guilty of leaking far too many runs at the back end of the innings - the short boundaries of their home ground partially being a part of the reason.

That said, RCB have perhaps one of the most potent opening pairs in their current and former captain respectively -- Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli -- to be followed by the destructive Glenn Maxwell. On the back of a last-over loss to the Chennai Super Kings, the fact that they almost chased down a record target is a testament to their batting depth. Maxwell and du Plessis kept them in the hunt, and the encouraging signs, even in defeat, was Dinesh Karthik's return to form and the rediscovery of his finishing prowess. Add to that the batting of their impact sub Suyash Prabhudesai, who dragged the game to the penultimate ball in a mammoth 227-run chase, and it's a batting line-up unlike any other.

Like PBKS, RCB too are seeking consistency in their campaign. They are currently languishing at the eighth spot in the points table, with just two victories in five games, but have been on the wrong side of a couple of results that could have gone either way.

PBKS VS RCB HEAD-TO-HEAD IN IPL

Matches played: 30

Punjab Kings won: 17

Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 13

Last result: Punjab Kings won by 54 runs (Brabourne; 2022)

Last five results: PBKS won - 4; RCB won - 1

Punjab Kings hasn’t been able to dominate Royal Challengers Bangalore at home as both teams have three wins each from the six matches played between them in Mohali.

PBKS VS RCB HEAD-TO-HEAD IN IPL IN MOHALI

Matches played: 6

Punjab Kings won: 3

Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 3

Last result: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by eight wickets (2019)

Last five results: PBKS won - 2; RCB won - 3

Kings haven’t really been able to make Mohali their fortress as they have a win percentage of just over 50 at the venue. In 2023, they have one win and one defeat from the two games played in Mohali so far.

PUNJAB KINGS OVERALL RECORD IN IPL AT MOHALI

Matches played: 58

Won: 31

Lost: 27

Win%: 53.44

Last result: Lost to Gujarat Titans by six wickets (2023)

Last five results: Won - 3; Lost - 2

Longest winning streak: 7 matches (May 2017-April 2019)

Longest losing streak: 4 matches (April-May 2012)

Thanks for the tag Raji 🤗

Hope aaj kuch achcha points mile 😆

Royal Challengers Bangalore played their last game against Chennai Super Kings who won that game by 8 runs. Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell stacked 62 runs and 76 runs respectively for Royal Challengers Bangalore in that game. 

These two teams have played 30 matches against each other in the history of IPL so far where Punjab Kings won 17 matches while Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to win 13 games. 

Thank you for the tag Raji. I'll be AWOL for 2 days. Hope RCB wins this one 😆