RR vs PBKS Highlights, IPL 2023: Punjab Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 5 runs

Both the teams have fielded the same playing XIs as their previous encounter.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson wins toss, opts to bowl.

It has rained last night from midnight till almost 4:00 in the morning. The weather looks fine at the moment and Punjab fans will surely not hope for another rain marred contest.

"The dimensions of the ground are unique. The square boundaries vary from one another. 

“The pitch looks a belter. Little live grass and there is some dryness on the wicket. Players who can swing the ball like Boult can be effective.”

Like Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan too has a splendid record against Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed batter has accumulated 576 runs against them and if he manages to cross 600 today, he will become only fifth batter to do so against RR.

Gurnoor Singh Brar is a left-handed batting all-rounder, who made his first-class debut for Punjab in December 2022. He has featured in 5 first-class matches, in which he has amassed 107 runs at a strike rate of 120.22. With the ball he scalped 7 wickets at an economy of 3.80.

Earlier today Punjab Kings released an statement informing: “Raj Angad Bawa who played two games for PBKS last season, has been ruled out due to a left shoulder injury.” 

The franchise roped in Gurnoor Singh Brar for ₹20 lakh as the replacement for the injured Raj Angad Bawa.

Yuzvendra Chahal has so far scalped 28 wickets against Punjab Kings in IPL. Only Umesh Yadav (34) and and Sunil Narine (33) have taken more wicket than him against Punjab.

Batting friendly pitches are expected at this venue. If we take a look at the previous matches, over 450 runs were scored in the last T20I played here. 

India had then piled 237/3 batting first. David Miller led Proteas run chase and went to score a ton but South Africa fell short by 16 runs in October 2022. 

Earlier in January, Virat Kohli and Dasun Shanaka scored a ton each in a high-scoring ODI in which 679 runs were scored.

Sam Curran, the most expensive player in IPL history, played a 26-run cameo in the clash against KKR. He did a fine job with the bat, but with ball the all-rounder was slightly expensive. Curran scalped one wicket in the three overs he bowled and conceded 38 runs at an economy of over 12.

The onus will once again be on Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanu Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa scored a half-century in the previous encounter, while Dhawan anchored the innings with a vital 40 odd runs.

The team, however, will be bolstered by the return of South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada, who joined the PBKS camp after completing his national duties.

Like Anrich Nortje (Delhi Capitals), Rabada can also be included in the playing XI straightaway. 

If that is the case then Nathan Ellis will have to sit out.

The biggest headache for Punjab Kings at the moment is Liam Livingstone's availability. The England all-rounder missed out the first match fpr not receiving a fitness clearance from ECB and there has been no official word from the franchise on his return.

The depth in Rajasthan Royals' batting is such that it can withstand any bowling attack. However, Devdutt Padikkal and Riyan Parag were both dismissed cheaply in the previous encounter and the two, especially Parag, will hope to pile some runs with the venue being his home ground.

In the clash against Hyderabad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and captain Sanju Samson smashed half-centuries each to power Rajasthan Royals to 203/5 in 20 overs.

Then Yuzvendra Chahal (4/17) ran through the SRH line-up and New Zealand quick Trent Boult scalped 2/21 to restrict the opponent for 131/8.

Going by the squad Rajasthan Royals have assembled, the franchise will back their near-perfect combinations to produce an impressive effort. 

With the bat, they have Jos ‘The Boss’ Buttler at the top, who'll open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Then the middle-order comprise some of the big hitters, with captain Sanju Samson being one of them.

The team also boast of a deadly spin combo with R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal leading the department.

Trent Boult spearheads their pace attack.

Rajasthan Royals put up a strong show against Sunrisers Hyderabad and defeated them by 72 runs.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by seven runs as per the DLS method.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Abdul Basith, Murugan Ashwin, Ravichandran Ashwin, KM Asif, Trent Boult, Jos Buttler, KC Cariappa, Yuzvendra Chahal, Donovan Ferreira, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Obed McCoy, Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, Kunal Singh Rathore, Joe Root, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Kuldeep Sen, Akash Vasisht, Kuldip Yadav, Adam Zampa.

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Prabhsimran Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, M Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Singh, Matthew Short, Sikandar Raza, Atharva Taide.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the match no. 8 of IPL 2023 between the Rajasthan Royals and the Punjab Kings at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Both Sanju Samson (RR skipper) and Shikhar Dhawan (PBKs captain) will be eager to continue with the winning momentum.