PBKS vs RR Match Preview
The Kings have a strong batting line-up and have breached the 200-run barrier on 4 occasions this season. Prabhsimran Singh and Shikhar Dhawan, though not very consistent as an opening pair, have played well individually and are the joint-highest run scorers for the team. Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone have chipped in too to help the Punjab Kings put up some solid totals.
We saw an incredible attack by Livingstone to take his team to the brink of victory in the previous match. Almost all the PBKS batters have a good strike rate but getting the best out of the batting unit collectively has not been easy.
It is the bowling that has let the team down on more than one occasion and where PBKS seems to be falling behind rapidly.
They have conceded 200 or more runs 5 times this season, putting excessive pressure on the batsmen. While Arshdeep Singh is the leading wicket-taker for the team with 16 wickets, he has been taken for close to 10 runs per over. The Punjab Kings have some big names in their seam attack, including Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, and Kagiso Rabada, but all of them have leaked runs at over 9 runs per over.
Buttler and Jaiswal were one of the strongest opening pairs at the start of the season. But Buttler has been rather inconsistent in his last few outings. Jaiswal on the other hand has been brilliant and is the third-highest run-scorer of the season.
We don't think eother of these players will change their approach. RR has to win by as big a margin as possible and then hope that some results go its way.
Sanju Samson, Shimron Hetmeyer, Devdutt Padikkal, and Dhruv Jurel have all played some excellent innings but again, they have lacked consistency, which has led to a terrible run for the team. They are all brilliant strikers of the ball and will have the license to attack this time as well.
In the bowling department, Yuzvendra Chahal is at the top of his game and is the leading wicket-taker for the Royals with 21 wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin and Trent Boult have provided him with good support. Just like the batting, the other bowlers haven’t been consistent with the likes of Jason Holder, Zampa, and Sandeep Sharma being taken for plenty of runs at times.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to be cool at around 22 degrees and we might see some dew in the second inning.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Dharamshala is pretty hard and offers a good amount of bounce and pace. The batsmen will find the ball coming onto the bat pretty nicely and will enjoy playing their shots here. A score of around 180 is a par score here. The spinners will not find much assistance as the pitch is relatively unused.
There is some grass on the surface that will keep the seamers in the hunt.
Notable stats
Yuzvendra Chahal’s Outstanding Season
Yuzvendra Chahal has been a consistent performer with the ball for the Rajasthan Royals this season. He has picked up 21 wickets in 13 matches and has an excellent bowling strike rate of 13.95.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
PBKS vs RR Probable 11
PBKS Playing 11
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Shikhar Dhawan (C)
- Jitesh Sharma (Wk)
- Liam Livingstone
- Atharva Taide
- Shahrukh Khan
- Sam Curran
- Kagiso Rabada
- Rahul Chahar
- Harpreet Brar
- Arshdeep Singh
RR Playing 11
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Jos Buttler
- Sanju Samson (C)
- Shimron Hetmeyer
- Dhruv Jurel
- Joe Root
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Adam Zampa
- Sandeep Sharma
- KM Asif
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Rajasthan Royals to win here. They have a better record in the past head-to-head encounters with the Punjab Kings which should give them some confidence. On such a batting surface like the one in Dharamshala, the bowling can be a big differentiator and we feel that the Royals enjoy an advantage there.
Top Picks
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Yashasvi Jaiswal is in sublime form with the bat this season. He is the highest run-getter for RR with 575 runs and has an incredible strike rate of 166.48.
Jos Buttler: Buttler has been devastating at the top of the order for the Rajasthan Royals this season. The pitch at the HPCA Ground in Dharamshala is excellent to bat on and someone like him is well-poised to exploit the conditions.
Liam Livingstone: Livingstone played a brilliant inning in the last match, getting his team within touching distance of a win. He is hitting the ball well and has a healthy strike rate of 170.88.
PBKS vs RR Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Buttler (C), S Samson, P Singh
Batters: S Dhawan, Y Jaiswal (VC), S Hetmyer
All-rounders: R Ashwin, L Livingstone, S Curran
Bowlers: Y Chahal, A Singh
