IPL 2023: Match 66, Punjab Kings (PBKS) Predicted Playing XI vs Rajasthan Royals

Punjab Kings (PBKS) will square off against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 66th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Friday, May 19 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Punjab are entering the contest, having succumbed to a 15-run loss against Delhi Capitals.

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Courtesy of the defeat, Punjab are eighth in the IPL 2023 points table with six wins under their name and their hopes of making it to the playoffs hang by a thread. Shikhar Dhawan & Co. would need to win their last league game against the Rajasthan side to stay alive in the competition and thus, they would look to be at their best in the clash on Friday.

Here's Punjab Kings’ predicted XI against Rajasthan Royals

Openers : Shikhar Dhawan(c), Prabhsimran Singh

Shikhar Dhawan has been a prominent figure in the lucrative T20 tournament. He has decimated top-quality attacks with his glorious stroke play and made the T20 carnival his happy hunting ground. The southpaw has featured in 216 IPL games and amassed 6600 runs at a strike rate of 127.14.

Dhawan has shown his batting prowess in the 16th edition of the IPL. He has played ten matches for Punjab Kings and notched up 356 runs at a strike rate of 142.97. The veteran batter would be itching to set the upcoming game on fire with his batting displays.

Coming to Prabhsimran Singh, the 22-year-old has taken the attack to the opposition from ball one and inflicted carnage on the opposition. The opening batter has aggregated 356 runs in 13 matches in the ongoing IPL edition at a strike rate of 150.84.

Middle Order: Atharva Taide, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shahrukh Khan

Punjab Kings have the services of Atharva Taide, Jitesh Sharma (wk) and Shahrukh Khan in the middle order.  Taide has shown his class in IPL 2023 and scored 167 runs in six outings for PBKS at a strike rate of 142.73. He would look to put his best foot forward in the forthcoming clash.

Coming to Jitesh Sharma, the wicketkeeper-batter, has set the ongoing IPL edition ablaze with his blistering performances. He has made 13 appearances for the Punjab franchise and smashed 265 runs at a stunning strike rate of 155.88. Also, the 29-year-old is lightning-quick behind the stumps.

Talking about Shahrukh Khan, the 27-year-old is known to knock the wind out of bowling attacks with his power-hitting might. However, he has been mediocre in the T20 carnival and has managed to score just 115 runs in 13 matches. The ace batter would look to redeem himself in the upcoming encounter.

All-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran

Liam Livingstone has been a bankable name in the T20 circuit. He has tormented bowlers with his marauding bat and piled on truckloads of fun. Also, the ace all-rounder has been a canny customer with the ball and chipped in with timely breakthroughs. He has plundered 5292 runs in 214 matches in the shortest format and bagged 88 wickets at an economy of 8.24.

Livingstone has been magnificent with the bat in the ongoing edition of the marquee event. He has piled on 270 runs in eight matches at an astonishing strike rate of 170.88. In the clash against Delhi Capitals on May 17, the ace all-rounder displayed his might and blasted 94 runs off 48 deliveries.

Talking about Sam Curran, he is a gun bowler and a vital contributor with the bat. However, he has not been at his best in the 16th IPL edition. The England all-rounder has managed to pile on just 227 runs in 13 games and bag nine wickets in those outings at an economy of 10.10.

Bowlers: Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

Punjab have Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar in their arsenal. Harpreet has represented PBKS on 12 outings in the ongoing season and bagged nine scalps at an economy of 8.02. Coming to Chahar, the leg-spinner has managed to bag seven wickets in 13 games at an economy of 7.76. The spin twins would be eager to weave their magic in the clash on Friday.

On the pace-bowling front, Punjab have Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh in the mix. Rabada has been a pale shadow of his vintage self in the IPL 2023 and managed to bag only five scalps in as many games at an alarming rate of 10.10.

Coming to Arshdeep, the left-arm pacer has been PBKS’ wrecker-in-chief in the 16th edition of the cash-rich league. He has featured in 13 matches and picked up 16 wickets at an economy of 9.67. The team management would hope the 24-year-old put up a show with the ball in the upcoming game.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) Probable Playing 11:

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh

Punjab Kings (PBKS) Probable Impact Players:

Nathan Ellis, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Baltej Singh, Mohit Rathee