Match details
Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Mullanpur, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)
Big Picture – Pace the way to go in Mullanpur?
Although the season is still early, Mullanpur, the newest IPL location, appears to feature conditions that are favourable to fast bowlers. Thirty wickets have fallen in the two matches played thus far, with three run-outs and 27 wickets taken by the bowlers. Twenty-three of these wickets have come from quick bowlers. Though it wasn’t always easy to score runs, there was a lot of movement and carry during Tuesday’s match between Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at this location. That is also reflected in the data.
Mullanpur has the lowest run rate (7.7) in the powerplay and the best average (19.7) among all the venues used so far in the 2024 Indian Premier League. In two games played here, nine wickets have fallen in the opening six overs, tied with Mumbai. This season, only Jaipur has lost more wickets in the powerplay, but that’s only because they’ve played four games already.
Will the Rajasthan Royals, who enter the match having recently suffered their first defeat in the IPL 2024 on Wednesday, be concerned about this? Nope. Conversely, they could be the more contented side. The fastest side in the tournament, the Royals’ quicks, having taken nine wickets at an average of 24.3 during the powerplay. A fascinating tussle at the top might result from Kings, who are not far behind at 26.6 runs per wicket in the powerplay.
The other thing Royals have to be careful about is avoiding letting the past happen again. They enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2023 IPL, dropping only one of their first five games and appearing certain to make the playoffs. However, they lost all nine of their subsequent games and were unable to advance to the knockout stage. They had won four of the first five games in the IPL 2024 and lost one, but this time they will try to make up for previous season’s mistakes.
Form guide
Punjab Kings: LWLLW (IPL 2024; most recent matches first)
Rajasthan Royals: LWWWW
Team news and Impact Player Strategy
Kings of Punjab
In their most recent matchup against SRH, Kings started with an unchanged lineup due to Liam Livingstone’s injury. The fast bowling coach, Charl Langeveldt, said that they “will make a decision tomorrow” without providing any further information regarding Livingstone’s availability. He might take Sikandar Raza’s place in the XII if fit.
Arshdeep Singh will probably continue to be substituted for Prabhsimran Singh or Ashutosh Sharma by the Kings, as they have done consistently.
Probable XII: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Sam Curran, 4 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 5 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Kagiso Rabada, 7 Sikandar Raza, 8 Ashutosh Sharma, 9 Harpreet Brar, 10 Harshal Patel
Royals of Rajasthan
In the Royals’ previous match against the Gujarat Titans, Nandre Burger was sidelined due to injury, and Trent Boult only bowled two overs before being removed from the game in the dying stages. Boult’s fitness will also be something to keep an eye on, even though it might only depend on match-ups. In the previous match, Keshav Maharaj was used by the Royals as an Impact substitute for Yashasvi Jaiswal; however, this is probably going to change because Mullanpur’s surface is more conducive to fast bowlers.
Jaiswal may open and then be substituted for one of the fast bowlers if the Royals bat first, or vice versa. After a strong performance in the previous game, Kuldeep Sen is probably going to stay in his spot. Burger is probably going to return to the XII as an Impact Player if he is healthy. Even though Sandeep Sharma has been practicing with the team, it is unclear when he will be available.
Probable XII: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Kuldeep Sen
In the spotlight – Shashank Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal
Shashank Singh has demonstrated his finishing prowess twice. In their most recent game against SRH, he nearly led Kings to an even more unlikely victory following his valiant performance against Gujarat Titans. He demonstrated that his innings against the Titans was not a fluke, even if the Kings came up just short.
This season, Kings have amassed a run rate of 11.33 in the death overs, and Shashank has played a significant role in that total. With a strike rate of 195.71, he ranks third among all batters in the competition who have faced 35 balls or more. Since his first-ball duck in the Kings’ opening game against the Delhi Capitals, Shashank has also not been removed from the game. Are his numbers good enough to get him promoted?
Yuzvendra Chahal needs three more wickets to become the first bowler to 200 in IPL history. He has taken at least one wicket in each of the first 10 games of the season, sharing the lead with Jasprit Bumrah. More than any other legspinner in the IPL 2024, six of those have occurred in the middle period.
His middle overs economy rate of 6.92 is very noteworthy. Chahal is Samson’s go-to bowler once the powerplay is over because he doesn’t mind taking chances.
Stats that matter
- Jonny Bairstow averages 17.33 against Chahal in T20s and has fallen to him three times in seven innings.
- R Ashwin has removed Dhawan four times in 14 T20 innings. Dhawan strikes at only 84.4 against the spinner.
- Arshdeep has dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal twice in 15 balls in T20s. Jaiswal averages just 7.50 against him and strikes at 100.
- Shimron Hetmyer has crashed Sam Curran for 45 runs in 18 balls in T20 cricket, striking at 250.00.
- Jos Buttler strikes at 157.35 against Kagiso Rabada in T20 cricket, while averaging 53.50.
Pitch and conditions
Mullanpur’s surface has helped with pace, bounce, and carry, and on Saturday, that is probably not going to alter. By the time play starts, the temperature will probably have dropped to the mid-20s from its predicted mid-30s in the afternoon. In addition, there’s a 90% likelihood of cloud cover and a little risk of rain.