After a terrific win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals are all set to host Punjab Kings on April 5 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
The Shikhar Dhawan-led side defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by seven runs (DLS Method) in their opening match and will be confident ahead of taking on the Royals. Even though Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada were unavailable, Punjab Kings were brilliant with both bat and ball as Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh gave the team a flying start.
Batting at number three, Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed 50 runs off 32 deliveries while Sam Curran and Jitesh Sharma played quick cameos to help PBKS post 191 runs in 20 overs. With the ball, youngster Arshdeep Singh was sensational as he absolutely destroyed KKR’s top order. Rahul Chahar and Sikandar Raza were very impactful with the ball as well.
Coming to Rajasthan, their top order is on song at the moment and they have the capability to change the complexion of the game at any time. Jos Buttler (54 off 22) gave them a perfect start in the last match while Yashasvi Jaiswal looked rock solid with 54 off 37 deliveries. Later Sanju Samson too scored a half-century as Rajasthan posted 203 runs on board after 20 overs.
Spin wizard Yuzvendra Chahal impressed with the ball, taking a four-wicket haul. To make his return to the playing XI of the national team, the ongoing IPL is very important for the bowler and his performance explain his intentions. On the other hand, Trent Boult picked up two wickets while KM Asif proved to be economical.
RR vs PBKS Match Details
Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, 8th Match, IPL 2023
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 5, 7:30 PM IST
Telecast & Streaming Details: Star Sports Network and JioCinema
DC vs GT Pitch Report
The surface at Barasara Cricket Stadium is expected to help the batters. A high-scoring encounter is likely and bowling first will be ideal since dew can play role later. Anything above 200 will be a challenging total.
RR vs PBKS Probable Playing XIs
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
RR vs PBKS Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter
Jos Buttler
Jos ‘the Boss’ gave Rajasthan a phenomenal start in the last match. As the pitch is expected to favour the batters in the forthcoming match, he is expected to wreak havoc in the middle once again. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament last year and would be aiming the same in 2023.
Probable Best Bowler
Sam Curran
Sam Curran’s variations with the ball can work wonders against Rajasthan. He was poor with the ball against KKR but the England all-rounder has the capability to bounce back and make a huge impact.
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