IPL 2024, Match 27: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals Match Preview

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to collide in the Indian Premier League 2024 on Saturday, April 13, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mohali.

PBKS and RR have played some intriguing matches against each other in recent times. Some fans have also called their rivalry the new 'El Clasico' in the IPL as many of their recent games have turned out to be cliffhangers. Last year, both the matches between these two sides turned out to be riveting affairs. Both teams won at each other's den.

Kings defeated Royals by five runs as they defended a target of 198 in the early goings of the tournament in Guwahati. However, the first-ever IPL champions avenged that defeat by chasing down a 188-run target with four balls and two wickets to spare in Dharamsala. Notably, the clash was a reverse fixture.

This year, the two teams have had contrasting campaigns. Punjab are languishing at No. 8 on the points table with two wins and three losses from five games. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson-led Royals are at the top of the table with four wins and one loss from five matches.

Punjab's big guns have failed to fire with the bat. Captain Shikhar Dhawan scored a 50-ball 70 in the game against Lucknow Super Giants but in the other four matches, he has accumulated a total of only 82 runs. His fellow opener Jonny Bairstow came into the tournament on the back of a horrendous performance in the Test series in India. The wicketkeeper-batter hasn't been able to turn the tides in his favour in white-ball cricket as he has scored just 81 runs from five matches. Prabhsimran Singh and Sam Curran have done well in patches but PBKS will need bigger contributions from them.

Also Check: Most Runs in IPL 2024

The batting department has been headlined by Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. Their partnership won Punjab a game against Gujarat Titans from an almost improbable situation. In Punjab's last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, this duo almost took them over the line as they were chasing a 183-run target. In the end, the Kings finished two runs short of Hyderabad's total.

Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada have put in much better performances than what they did last year. While the left-arm seamer has eight wickets from five matches at an average of 20, the South African speedster picked up seven wickets in the same number of matches at 24.71.

Also Check: Most Wickets in IPL 2024

Curran and Harshal Patel have gone for plenty of runs so far in the tournament. The latter has conceded runs at an economy rate of 10.55. Harpreet Brar, on the other hand, has been economical, apart from the last game where he conceded 48 in four overs.

Rajasthan Royals won four matches on the trot to start their season before Gujarat Titans stopped their marauding run in the last game. Chasing a 197-run target, Shubman Gill's eye-catch fifty and cameos from Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan helped Gujarat win off the last ball with three wickets in the bank.

Royals will not be too perturbed by this loss as it is part and parcel of the T20 format. They will be pleased to see how Riyan Parag has consistently churned out the runs and bailed the team out of tricky situations. In the last game, the Assam captain scored a brilliant 76 off 48 balls. He is the second-highest run-getter in the tournament with 261 runs from five matches at an average of 87 and a strike rate of 158.18. Parag has already registered three half-centuries this season. Interestingly, ahead of IPL 2024, the youngster had only two fifties from 54 matches.

Sanju is at No. 4 on the list of leading run-getters. He has 246 runs to his name from five matches at an average of 82 and a strike rate of 157.69. Jos Buttler scored a spectacular century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru but has departed for low scores in the other games. Yashasvi Jaiswal has also failed to get going but a player of his quality could bounce back at any moment.

Also Check: PBKS vs RR Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL match?

Trent Boult and Nandre Burger have formed a solid combination with the new ball and have caused a lot of trouble for the opposition batters. Yuzvendra Chahal has been at his scintillating best and is the joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024 alongside Jasprit Bumrah. The experienced leg-spinner has 10 wickets from five matches at 13.20. Kuldeep Sen was expensive at the death in his comeback match but he was the one who initially pegged Gujarat back with three big wickets.

Both teams will be eager to get back to winning ways. Hence, the fans can expect a feisty contest between then on Saturday.

Click Here: PBKS vs RR Live Score, Match 27

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report and Conditions

Pacers have enjoyed bowling with the new ball at this venue in the couple of matches played this season. The new ball has moved around and asked some tough questions from the batters. As the games have gone on, the pitches have gotten slower. The average first-innings score in IPL 2024 at his ground is 178. In the first two games, the pitches that were provided were quite balanced. Batters cashed in once they got themselves set at the crease.

Probable Playing XI

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Punjab Kings are likely to stick to the same XI. They are missing the services of Liam Livingstone and would be expecting more from Sikandar Raza, who is playing in place of the England all-rounder. Also, the likes of Shashank and Ashutosh could be given promotions in the batting order because of the exhilarating form they have shown.

Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ashutosh Sharma, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

Impact Player: Prabhsimran Singh 

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Nandre Burger is expected to return for this match after missing out in the last game. Avesh Khan was very expensive at the death and there could be a case for Sandeep Sharma coming back. After just one loss, there is no need for the Royals to press the panic button.

Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Nandre Burger, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Player: Kuldeep Sen

Also Check: PBKS vs RR Dream11 Prediction

Head-to-Head Record