IPL 2021: Match 48 - RCB vs PBKS : Preview, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Updates

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will battle it out in Match 48 of the Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB’s bowlers exuded some great character to restrict Rajasthan to just 149 runs in their last game. Harshal Patel yet again starred with the ball as he scalped three wickets to strengthen the team’s position. RCB then chased down the total quite dominantly credit to a belligerent half-century by Glenn Maxwell and good innings by Srikar Bharat.

For Punjab, their win against Kolkata in the last match came as a huge sigh of relief. The KL Rahul-led side chased down the target of 166 wherein the skipper held the fort and put the team in the driver’s seat with a magnificent half-century. Mayank Agarwal (40) also provided the team with a steady start.

Heading into this match, RCB will be keen on clinching two more points to strengthen their position in the points table. With the race to the play-offs getting intriguing with each passing game, Punjab will look forward to carrying the momentum.

Pitch Report:

The pitch of Sharjah Cricket Stadium has appeared a tad bit challenging for batting. The batters will have to stay firm on the pitch and then build on their innings from there.

Playing XI:

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Dan Christian, Srikar Bharat (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Punjab Kings

KL Rahul (c,wk), Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Fabian Allen, Deepak Hooda, Nathan Ellis, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Key Players

Harshal Patel

The speedster has been exceptional for RCB in this edition of the IPL. In the last match, he scalped three wickets in an over. In the tournament so far, Patel has picked up 26 wickets and is the highest wicket-taker of the season. He is skipper Virat Kohli’s go-to man in crunch moments and will be determined to perform for the side.

KL Rahul

The captain’s contribution will be extremely pivotal for Punjab. He is the second-highest run-getter of the tournament and has chipped in 489 runs at a healthy average of 54.33 in this season so far. In the previous game against Kolkata, he stayed firm on the pitch and added 67 runs to the team’s account. Rahul would be determined to take his good form further.