Preview by Ghcalive Staff
The IPL 2023 league stage might finish with four teams each having 14 points, with the club with the highest run rate advancing to the playoffs. That scenario requires Kolkata Knight Riders to win their last match, Mumbai Indians to lose their final game, and Royal Challengers Bangalore to lose one of their final two games. However, when the Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals get ready to play in Dharamsala for their slim chances of qualifying, just one of their teams may take part in this possible scenario.
The Royals still have a positive NRR despite their loss to Royal Challengers, and should the 14-point scenario occur, a decent victory versus the Kings may give them a serious chance. The Kings’ NRR decreased to -0.308 as a result of their defeat to the Delhi Capitals, making it challenging for them to stay in the race. They need a tremendous win as well as some major losses for the aforementioned clubs in order to survive.
Due to bad bowling on the powerplay and the death, a slump from the speed department, and some tactical errors, the Kings finally gave up 213 against the Capitals. They need to pull up their socks and come up with a plan right away to beat a Rajasthan squad that has some really outstanding hitters who had a solid hit out in the nets as they often cleared the fence with ease.
They must also cooperate as a team rather than depending just on individual brilliance. In contrast to Liam Livingstone’s stunning 48-ball 94 in their previous match, Prabhsimran’s century in Delhi really assisted his side in winning. Dhawan’s absence from the previous two games’ contributions has also drawn criticism. The skipper will attempt to apologise and show initiative.
After winning just two of their previous eight games, the Royals, who once held the top place in the rankings, are now in danger of being eliminated early. In between a high-scoring match that they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad, they had two terrible batting performances: they were skittled out for 118 against Gujarat Titans and collapsed for 59 against RCB, amassing the third lowest total in the IPL. The ideal circumstances are present for RR to excel at the plate, and they are ready to do so.
When: Friday, May 19 at 19:30 IST
Where: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
What to anticipate: The tiny boundaries and a track with bounce and pace made it ideal for the hitters in the game between PBKS and DC, when as many as 24 maximums were struck. However, early in both innings there was some swing available, so the bowlers must make most of it or else they risk suffering later. We predict another game with high scores.
Teams watch:
Punjab Kings
The Kings did not participate in practise on Friday since they had already played the previous day. In the meanwhile, they could consider changing a few aspects of the game. Rabada and Atharva Taide, who failed despite making 50 before being strategically removed, might make way for a foreign batsman and an Indian spinner. Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Rishi Dhawan could be suitable candidates for these posts.
Strategy and match: Arshdeep Singh is a fantastic match for the new ball, particularly if swing is available. In 10 deliveries, he only managed to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal twice while scoring 10 runs. PBKS may also offer Nathan Ellis, a bowler who has struck out Jos Buttler twice in as many T20 cricket deliveries, an early chance. Curran, who has already taken the wicket of the RR captain twice in 15 deliveries, will have a test from Sanju Samson.
Probable XII: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Rishi Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh.
Rajasthan Royals
Trent Boult, Adam Zampa’s substitute in the last game, ought to be back in the lineup and should profit from the Dharamsala early swing. It’s unknown who will start this game because neither player has had a strong IPL season—with the exception of Devdutt Padkkal’s fifty against RCB.
Strategy and match: Shikhar Dhawan has been out of the game three times each by R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, and twice by Sandeep. However, against the Punjab opening, Chahal and Sandeep have both been relatively costly, providing for an intriguing match.
Probable XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(c & wk), Joe Root, Devdutt Padikkal/Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal.
They stated:
I think we have some decent swing bowlers. It is important to aim to bowl in the proper areas, at reasonable lengths, and with a swing that lasts until the ball is swinging under these conditions. After then, you must bowl your versions. We saw the game yesterday, and scheduling your bowling is typically easier after seeing prior games. Yesterday, we witnessed the ball being thrown off the ground as someone attempted to bowl additional yorkers. They did not carry out their yorkers because of the wetness. Sandeep Sharma commented on the takeaways from the PBKS-DC game by saying, “We will sit down today and try to devise better ideas.
Squads:
Punjab Kings Squad: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Sikandar Raza, Matthew Short, Rishi Dhawan, Mohit Rathee, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Baltej Singh, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Gurnoor Brar, Shivam Singh
Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Joe Root, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Jason Holder, Murugan Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, Akash Vasisht, KC Cariappa, Obed McCoy, Riyan Parag, Devdutt Padikkal, Kuldip Yadav, Kuldeep Sen, Donavon Ferreira, Abdul Basith, Kunal Singh Rathore
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