(Cricket news) PBKS and RR are on the same side of the water. With 12 points from 13 games, both teams, who are in the lowest half of the standings, are frantically trying not to collapse. They will require a number of other outcomes to go their way even if they win their last league game if they want to somehow make the playoffs.
For RR, the first part of the season before Jason Holder was benched saw little utilisation of his batting abilities. They only got one over out of their Impact Player against Sunrisers Hyderabad because they were unwilling to utilise an Obed McCoy who had recovered from injury. And when RCB humiliated them by 112 runs in Jaipur, everything went wrong for them.
Both RR and PBKS have used some questionable strategies this year. In contrast, Kings’ left-arm finger spinner Harpreet Brar bowled the 16th, 18th, and 20th overs at Dharamsala against Rilee Rossouw. He was a well-positioned left-hander, after bowling none at all in spin-friendly Chennai.
In those three overs, Brar gave up 39 runs, and Arshdeep Singh only had two overs to bowl in what appeared to be favourable conditions for the seamers. Kings may have waited too long to leave out Atharva Taide, who struggled to find high gear in a 200-plus chase, because Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, and M. Shahrukh Khan was waiting in the wings.
Squad updates
There are no current fitness issues with either team. When the circumstances favour swing, particularly in the opening exchanges, Trent Boult might take Adam Zampa’s spot on the Royals’ side.
Form guide
PBKS: L W L L W
RR: L W L L L
Impact Player approach
If PBKS pursue, they may once more substitute Prabhsimran Singh for one of the seamers as their Impact Player. If they want to bat first, they could open with Prabhsimran and then introduce a bowler for their defence.
The Impact Player rule hasn’t been consistently observed by RR, though. It’s difficult to anticipate who will be their Impact Player.
Probable Playing Xl
PBKS: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Atharva Taide, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Kagiso Rabada/Sikandar Raza, 11 Nathan Ellis, 12 Arshdeep Singh
RR: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Devdutt Padikkal, 5 Joe Root, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Adam Zampa/Trent Boult, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 KM Asif
Pitch and circumstances
Teams frequently choose to chase in Dharamsala because to the narrow boundaries and the influence of dew later in the evening. The match is anticipated to take place in clear weather.
Also read: CSK aim at qualification, DC look to end season on a high
