On March 25th, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will clash with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL, marking the second showdown for both squads. Their initial encounters in the tournament yielded contrasting outcomes.
In their debut match, Punjab, under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, clinched a thrilling last-over victory against Delhi Capitals (DC). Conversely, RCB faced defeat in their opening match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), now under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy, where CSK outshone them in all aspects of the game.
Analyzing their head-to-head records, Bengaluru and Punjab have crossed bats 31 times in IPL history. Bengaluru emerged victorious in 14 matches, while Punjab claimed triumph in 17 encounters. PBKS showcased their prowess by posting a formidable total of 232 runs against RCB, matched by RCB’s highest score against PBKS. Over the last five clashes, Punjab emerged victorious thrice.
In terms of fantasy team picks for the upcoming clash, players like Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Dinesh Karthik, Yash Dayal, Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, and Sam Curran stand out.
Moving on to the pitch report, Bengaluru’s venue historically offers flat tracks favoring batsmen, with minimal assistance for bowlers. Batsmen can relish the conditions, especially with the shorter boundaries. Notably, out of the 87 IPL matches hosted here, teams batting second triumphed in 47 encounters. The pinnacle of batting excellence at this venue was witnessed when RCB amassed a staggering 263/5 against Pune Warriors, highlighted by Chris Gayle’s legendary unbeaten 175 off 66 deliveries.
