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Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore will clash against each other at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore returned to winning ways against Delhi Capitals, as they secured a narrow 1-run victory over Rishabh Pant’s men. RCB now have 5 wins in their six matches so far and are currently placed second on the points table. On the other hand, PBKS lost their last match against Kolkata Knight Riders, after a poor batting performance.
PBKS have managed to win only two out of their six matches so far, and will need to win a few consecutive games to get back in the race for a playoffs spot. Punjab’s batting unit has failed in three of the six matches so far. They delivered poor performances with the bat against Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
RCB recovered well from their crushing 69-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The table-toppers were beaten by a sensational all-round performance from Ravindra Jadeja, who delivered in all three departments of the game. However, they bounced back in style, as they defeated another in-form team, Delhi Capitals by just one run in their last match. AB de Villiers was adjudged the player of the match award, for his unbeaten knock of 75 runs. Harshal Patel continued his good form this season and added two more wickets to his tally against Delhi Capitals.
As for Punjab Kings, they had a dismal performance with the bat against Kolkata Knight Riders, KL Rahul scored just 19 runs, whereas, Chris Gayle was dismissed for a golden duck. Nicholas Pooran’s poor start to the season continued, as he managed to score 19 runs at a strike rate of 100.
Key Players
AB de Villiers scored a blistering knock of 75 runs from just 42 balls against Delhi Capitals. The former South African batsman smashed 3 fours and 5 sixes during his innings, and was adjudged the player of the match. He has managed to score 204 runs in his five innings so far, at an average of 68 and a strike rate in the mid-170s. De Villiers has been assigned the role of a finisher for this season, as he comes in at number five. He also scored a match-winning knock of 76 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders, and has been in fine form this season.
Harshal Patel has been one of the standout bowlers so far in the IPL. The Indian pacer has picked 17 wickets in his six matches so far, at an average of just 12. He was expensive against Chennai Super Kings, where he conceded 37 runs in the last over against Ravindra Jadeja. However, he bounced back in style against Delhi Capitals, picking two wickets in his four overs. He picked up the crucial wickets of Prithvi Shaw and Marcus Stoinis, and helped RCB register their fifth victory this season.
KL Rahul has three half-centuries to his name this season. He is the third highest run-getter of the tournament so far, having scored 270 runs in his six innings at an average of 48. However, his strike rate has been on the lower side, which is something he would like to work on. Rahul was adjudged the player of the match for his unbeaten knock of 60 runs off 50 balls against Mumbai Indians. However, he failed to deliver against KKR, where he managed to score just 19 runs.
Mohammed Shami has picked up seven wickets in six matches so far, at an average of 24.14. The Indian pacer delivered a good performance against KKR, where he picked up the key wicket of Shubman Gill, and conceded just 25 runs in his four overs. He also did a fine job against Mumbai Indians, where he conceded 21 runs in his 4 over spell, and picked up two wickets, which includes the key wicket of Rohit Sharma.
Prediction
Royal Challengers Bangalore are the favorites to win the match against Punjab Kings. RCB have found their correct team combination, and are real title contenders this season. The likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers have delivered with the bat so far. The bowling unit has been putting in some good performances, with Harshal Patel taking 17 wickets in his six games.
Punjab Kings have a good batting lineup, but they have failed to perform on a consistent basis. Chris Gayle regained his form against Mumbai Indians, but failed to build on his confidence, and was dismissed for a duck against Kolkata Knight Riders. Nicholas Pooran was in lethal form last season, but he is yet to hit the ground running this season. The West Indian might be dropped for the clash against RCB, with Dawid Malan taking his place.
