Punjab Kings will again rely on their trusted opening duo of skipper KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal to provide them with a flying start against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL 2021 match in Sharjah on Sunday. They were among the runs against KKR, and will look to do an encore against RCB.
The biggest plus for Punjab Kings heading into the RCB game is their death bowling that paved the way for their win in the last match. Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh's two incisive overs at the death went a long way in setting up Punjab's victory against KKR, and the team would hope for a similar outing from the two against RCB.
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PBKS Predicted XI vs RCB
1 KL Rahul: The PBKS captain would be disappointed for not being able to finish off the match against KKR but his knock once again oozed class.
2 Mayank Agarwal: Riding his luck early on, Mayank played some scintillating shots to give PBKS a good start in the chase against KKR. The opening partnership between Rahul and him has been one of the strongest ones in this IPL.
3 Nicholas Pooran: With no Chris Gayle, Pooran was promoted to No.3 against KKR. The stylish left-hander could not grab the opportunity but it is unlikely that the PBKS management would drop him from the side.
4 Aiden Markram: The South Africa top-order batsman has shown glimpses of his class but hasn't been able to notch up that match-winning innings yet. He would look to change that against RCB.
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5 Deepak Hooda: He hasn't been at his best so far in this UAE leg. Hooda was a runaway success at No.5 for PBKS in the first half in India and he would aim to get his form back quickly.
6 Shahrukh Khan: His unbeaten 22 off 9 balls while chasing a stiff target against KKR is one of the reasons why PBKS are still alive in this tournament. The strong man's big-hitting abilities make him a must at No.6 for PBKS.
7 Harpreet Brar: The left-handed all-rounder did not play in the last match against KKR but is likely to return to XI against RCB in place of West Indies' all-rounder Fabien Allen, who was seen limping the other night while walking out to bat.
8 Chris Jordan: It is a bit of a surprise that PBKS haven't yet used England's fast bowler Chris Jordan. Maybe the match RCB could be an opportunity to unleash the experienced death-overs specialist. Jordan could replace young Nathan Elis.
9 Mohammed Shami: The experienced Indian seamer has been superb with the new ball but his inconsistency at the death would be a cause of concern for Punjab.
10 Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm seamer has been a revelation with the ball in hand for Punjab. With the new ball and also at the death, Arshdeep Singh has been simply superb.
11 Ravi Bishnoi: Another impressive young bowler of the Punjab side. It surprised many when Bishnoi didn't feature in the first couple of matches of the UAE leg for Punjab but the moment he returned, he started to make an impact.
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5 Deepak Hooda: He hasn't been at his best so far in this UAE leg. Hooda was a runaway success at No.5 for PBKS in the first half in India and he would aim to get his form back quickly.
6 Shahrukh Khan: His unbeaten 22 off 9 balls while chasing a stiff target against KKR is one of the reasons why PBKS are still alive in this tournament. The strong man's big-hitting abilities make him a must at No.6 for PBKS.
7 Harpreet Brar: The left-handed all-rounder did not play in the last match against KKR but is likely to return to XI against RCB in place of West Indies' all-rounder Fabien Allen, who was seen limping the other night while walking out to bat.
8 Chris Jordan: It is a bit of a surprise that PBKS haven't yet used England's fast bowler Chris Jordan. Maybe the match RCB could be an opportunity to unleash the experienced death-overs specialist. Jordan could replace young Nathan Elis.
9 Mohammed Shami: The experienced Indian seamer has been superb with the new ball but his inconsistency at the death would be a cause of concern for Punjab.
10 Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm seamer has been a revelation with the ball in hand for Punjab. With the new ball and also at the death, Arshdeep Singh has been simply superb.
11 Ravi Bishnoi: Another impressive young bowler of the Punjab side. It surprised many when Bishnoi didn't feature in the first couple of matches of the UAE leg for Punjab but the moment he returned, he started to make an impact.
Punjab Kings: 1 KL Rahul (Captain, WK), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Harpreet Brar, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami