The eleventh hour of the IPL 2023 has arrived, and the anxiety is palpable as four teams may finish the league stage with an identical score of 14 points. This exciting scenario is contingent upon the Royal Challengers Bangalore losing one of their remaining matches, Mumbai Indians losing their final match, and Kolkata Knight Riders winning their last encounter. But the most thrilling aspect of this is the upcoming face-off between the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where only one team can potentially move forward.
The current scenario puts the PBKS and the RR in a tense situation. For them to reach the playoffs, they must win the upcoming match in Dharamsala and hope for a combination of favourable outcomes in other matches.
Despite a major loss against RCB, the Royals still possess a positive NRR and a win against the Kings might just open the doors for them, given the 14-point scenario plays out. Conversely, the Kings, after their defeat against Delhi Capitals, have a negative NRR, making their path to survival steeper.
PBKS has been left wanting in the pace department and needs to pull up their socks against the big hitters from RR. They may contemplate changes and include players like Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Rishi Dhawan. The Royals might look to bring back Trent Boult and make a tough decision between Devdutt Padikkal and Riyan Parag.
PBKS Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Rishi Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh.
RR Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(c & wk), Joe Root, Devdutt Padikkal/Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal.
The previous match at this venue, between PBKS and DC, saw an impressive tally of 24 sixes, courtesy of short boundaries and a bouncy pitch. Bowlers need to capitalize on the initial swing to stay competitive. Another high-scoring game is expected.
The upcoming PBKS vs RR clash promises a heart-stopping encounter as it carries the survival hopes of both teams, and could even influence the fate of other teams in the league. With such high stakes, this match is all set to deliver a cricketing spectacle to remember.
