Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will lock horns in their upcoming IPL 2024 fixture on Monday, March 25.
The match is set to be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which is usually a hotspot for run fests.
BET NOW: Exclusive sign-up offers and bonuses when you bet on IPL action
These two sides will be battling at this venue for the first time since 2019. Only 11 games between RCB and PBKS have been played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with the former winning six and the latter winning five.
We can expect a thrilling game of cricket as the two teams will be desperate to get a win under their belts. RCB lost the opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), so they'll be eager to avoid a second straight defeat, especially in front of their home crowd.
PBKS, meanwhile, got off to a winning start, beating Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets, courtesy of a Sam Curran half-century and a good finish from Liam Livingstone.
RCB vs PBKS: Pitch Report
The pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has a reputation for being among the flattest in the country, offering very little help to the bowlers. It is a batsman's paradise and a bowler's graveyard, with short boundaries as well.
Additionally, there will be a dew factor, which implies that the team that wins the toss may decide to bowl because the wicket will probably improve for batting as the game goes on.
RCB vs PBKS: Expected Lineups
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Predicted Playing XI:
Faf du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar
Impact Player: Yash Dayal
Punjab Kings Predicted Playing XI:
Shikhar Dhawan (C), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar
Impact Player: Prabhsimran Singh
RCB vs PBKS: Prediction
Both sides boast of powerful batting lineups. RCB have an enviable top five, which consists of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, and Rajat Patidar. In the season opener, Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik showed great resilience and helped RCB from being bowled out cheaply.
PBKS have the English contingent of Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone to rely on, each of them equally capable of changing the game with the bat on their day. Captain Shikhar Dhawan might have been dropped from the Indian team, but he is still going strong.
The big difference, though, comes down to the bowling units of the two teams. RCB, as has been the story for them in most seasons, do not have a bowling unit capable of strangling the opposition. They did buy Lockie Ferguson and Alzarri Joseph, but they do not have praiseworthy IPL numbers. Mohammed Siraj is the only Indian bowler with international experience, while Karn Sharma is the best spinner in their ranks.
Contrastingly, PBKS have three genuine pace-bowling threats in Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, and Sam Curran, each of them perfectly capable of bowling under any situation and in any phase of the innings. Rahul Chahar is a very good spinner and has had a decent record in the IPL.
Unless RCB bat PBKS out of the game, it's tough to see them beating this PBKS team.
RCB vs PBKS: Betting odds
According to odds on Dafabet, RCB are the favourites to win the game against PBKS.
| Team | Odds |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 1.80 |
| Punjab Kings | 2.10 |
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >