KL Rahul will take on his Indian Skipper, Virat Kohli, in match number 26th of the Indian Premier League 2021 season as PBKS – Punjab Kings will have a face-off against the in-form men of RCB – Royal Challengers Bangalore today.
For PBKS, it has been a mere struggle as nothing has worked for them. They need their other star players to fire in the tournament with KL Rahul. At the same time, Virat and his Royal Challengers Bangalore team will want to put a good performance after they had a narrow escape in their last match against Delhi Capitals.
Punjab Kings – PBKS
The Strategy which the Punjab Kings team has applied has gone wrong. They need their openers to burst out in the first overs of the powerplay, and that why we keep saying that PBKS needs Chris Gayle as an opener along with Mayank Agarwal, and KL Rahul should apply himself at the number three position.
Gayle is known for the stars, which he provides in the shortest format of the game. The Universal Boss is the man who can utilize the first six overs and thrash the opposition bowlers all around the park. For Gayle, it doesn’t matter who is bowling or what delivery he is going to bowl. Gayle only knows one thing, that is to deposit the ball into the stands.
So PBKS can use this talent of the West Indian opener. He can get the desired start, which will help the Punjab Kings team succeed. PBKS can take the game away from RCB in the first six over if they open with Gayle. It would be just like how Prithvi Shaw did in yesterday’s game against KKR.
KL Rahul, the skipper of the team, should anchor the innings number three. Rahul hasn’t started the innings with a flurry, but he has taken time which hasn’t helped the team’s cause. That is why we have an opinion that KL Rahul should bat at number three along with Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan.
Or Punjab Kings can also pick Mandeep Singh at number four. Mandeep Singh is an aggressive batsman who will thrive if he gets a chance. Singh also did well for PBKS in the last season. If Singh comes, then Deepak Hooda or Shahrukh Khan could be dropped. Punjab Kings need a finishing kick as well.
Chris Jordan did well in their last game, and PBKS also has Fabian Allen, who can be replaced with Moises Henriques. Allen is a much-talented spin bowling all-rounder, and he can give the finishing kicks to the innings, unlike Moises. Allen is a good spin bowler as well, which could prove handy when PBKS ball.
Ravi Bhsinoi and Arshadeep Singh are the only two positives for Punjab Kings so far. PBKS needs a lot more from Mohammad Shami, who has underperformed for them since last year. Shami hasn’t looked at his best like he does in red-ball cricket. PBKS can replace him with Ishan Porel, who is in the squad. But they never tried him.
RCB – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat and his men sit in third place, with the top three teams tied with ten points each. RCB will want to win this match and go to the top of the table with 12 points to their name. Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their first match against CSK, and they narrowly escaped a defeat against DC.
Now the Bangalore will look to present a firm Challenge against Punjab Kings.
They still need a proper number, three batsman. They can add someone like Sachin Baby or promote the in-form batsman like AB De Villiers.
RCB has tried Shahbaz Khan, Washington Sundar, Rajat Patidar, and Glenn Maxwell at number three. But nothing has worked for them.
ABD played a sensational knock, because of which RCB got to the 170 run mark. If De Villiers were promoted up the order at number three, then RCB would have reached 180 to 185 runs in their 20 overs which would have proved handy in the end. The best players of RCB should get to bat the whole 20 overs.
And that is why ABD and Maxwell should stick to the number three and four positions. The lower order middle order needs to contribute as well. Sundar, Shahbaz Khan, and Rajat Patidar can take up the number five, six, and seven positions. RCB also has Daniel Christian and Kyle Jamieson to provide the lusty blows towards the end of the innings.
The bowling of RCB came under the scanner in the last two matches. They will want their bowlers to step up in this match because PBKS also have power hitters like Gayle, Pooran, Agarwal, and Rahul. Hatchel Patel needs to be consistent as a performer, and so as Mohd Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal. Royal Challengers Bangalore will expect a lot from Kyle Jamieson and Daniel Christan to contribute with the ball as both the overseas all-rounders have had a decent tournament so far.
The Live Streaming Details – RCB Vs PBKS
The 26th match of the IPL 2021 season is between RCB Vs PBKS. We can watch this match online through a live streaming service. The fans shouldn’t be sad and disheartened because they cannot see the match live in the stadium. But they should forget that and enjoy the match in the comfort of their homes. The live streaming service is available free on HOTSTAR.
The Toss –
The 26th match of the IPL 2021 season is between Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Vs PBKS – Punjab Kings, and the Toss will take place at 7.00 PM IST.
The Channel List RCB – Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Punjab Kings – PBKS
We can watch the 26th match of RCB Vs SRH on Star Sports Networks – Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports Tamil, Star Sports Telugu, Star Sports Kannada, and Star Sports Bangla TV Live.
Venue for RCB – Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs PBKS – Punjab Kings
The 26th Match between Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Punjab Kings is played at Shri Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Playing XI for Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Virat Kohli, Devdutt Paddikal, AB DE Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Khan, Daniel Christan, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harshal Patel.
Playing XI for PBKS – Punjab Kings Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh, Fabian Allen, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Shami, Ravi Bhisnoi, and Arshadeep Singh.
