Indian T20 League 2022: Match 60- Bangalore vs Punjab- Preview, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Updates

Bangalore takes on Punjab in the 60th match of the Indian T20 League 2022. With the race to the playoffs getting intense with every passing game, both the teams will look to get a win under their belt to stand a better chance of qualifying. This will be the second time the two sides meet this season. Punjab won the first encounter by five wickets despite a big total being put on the board by Bangalore. With five victories in 11 games, Punjab are presently placed eighth on the points table. Bangalore, on the other hand, have won seven out of their 12 games. They are placed fourth on the points table.

Team Updates

Bangalore

The men in red and blue are coming off a win in their last game. They had a perfect all-round game against Hyderabad. Besides, the players will be high on confidence after two consecutive wins. However, some individuals haven't been very consistent for the team. Key players like Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Josh Hazlewood will have to keep their form intact. Mohammed Siraj and Virat Kohli will also have to step up and make the most out of the remaining games.

In the next game against Punjab, the Faf du Plessis-led team might not look to make any changes. The team management will expect their winning combination to get similar results in their final few games as well.

Players to watch out for

Wanindu Hasaranga- With 21 wickets in 12 games, Wanindu Hasaranga is currently Bangalore's highest wicket-taker this season. He also is in the contention to win the purple cap. The spinner has taken wickets in the middle overs, allowing Bangalore to build an advantage in the key periods of the game.

Dinesh Karthik- Dinesh Karthik, as the finisher, has been superb. He has already won several matches for his side. Despite having a few quiet games, he bounced back with a cameo of 30 runs in eight balls against Hyderabad.

Probable Playing XI

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

Punjab

The Mayank Agarwal-led team have consistently been inconsistent in the Indian T20 League 2022. They are yet to win two games in a row but are still in contention to make it to the playoffs. They will try to win all of their remaining matches this season in order to make it to the top four. For that to happen, the men in red and gold will have to be more consistent. Key players like Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Shikhar Dhawan, and Jonny Bairstow will have to win more matches.

Punjab is coming out of a loss against Rajasthan. However, they will not look to make any changes to their lineup. They would want to give the players another shot at winning the remaining matches and qualifying for the playoffs.

Players to watch out for

Jonny Bairstow- After a slow start to the season, Bairstow regained his groove in the previous game against Rajasthan. He scored 56 runs off 40 balls in the previous encounter, and the team will be hoping he can continue to score runs.

Shikhar Dhawan- Shikhar Dhawan has been the most consistent player for Punjab this season. He has scored 381 runs in 11 games at an average of 42.33. He would want to keep his run flow intact in the next match as well.

Probable Playing XI

Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma

Head to Head

Pitch Report

Brabourne Stadium's pitch has always benefited batting. The pitches, though, are slowing down as the competition progresses. As a result, spinners will have a better advantage at this wicket. The team winning the toss would want to bowl first here.

Match Details

Date- 13th May 2022

Time- 7:30 PM

Venue- Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Broadcast- Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar