IPL 2022: The third match of the Indian Premier League will be played between the two that are looking for their maiden title. In the second game of the day, Punjab Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at 7:30 PM at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. However, if we choose on the basis of squads, both teams are good. It’s just a matter of having a good day on the field.
Both teams will play the match under the leadership of two new captains. Mayank Agarwal will lead the Punjab Kings and Faf du Plessis will captain the Royal Challengers Bangalore. It will be an interesting contest because both teams have some stars in their ranks. So let’s check out which team will have the upper hand and their possible XI.
IPL 2022: RCB vs PBKS 3rd Match Prediction and Preview
Royal Challengers Bangalore
One of the most popular IPL teams in the world is Royal Challengers Bangalore. The fan base is huge, but only one thing is missing, and that is an IPL Trophy. RCB have played three finals in their IPL history so far. But they are yet to win a single one. 2022 might be the year; the franchise would love to stop the trophy drought. Now the question is, do they have the squad to do this? Yes, RCB has some of the best match winners in their ranks who can win a game on their own. Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis, Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, and many more.
Now let’s come to the playing XI. Skipper Faf du Plessis will open the innings alongside former skipper Virat Kohli. In the middle order, Dinesh Karthik, Mahipal Lomror, and Sharfane Rutherford will be in. They have got some good spinners in Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed. But the best part of their bowling is the pace trio, which is the best in the tournament.
Probably XI: Virat Kohli, FAf Du Plessis (C), Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammad Siraj.
Punjab Kings
The Indian Premier League hasn’t been a great tournament for the Punjab Kings. They just qualified for the playoffs once in 2014. And in other seasons, they haven’t even crossed the league stage. But will this season be the season they want? Definitely, the squad they have brought looks solid on paper. But the real game starts on the field, so it will be interesting to see how the new captain will lead.
If we talk about the squad, we can see some big names like Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, and Odean Smith. Now check out the team combination. Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Mayank Agarwal have the best opening in the tournament. Liam Livingstone comes at No. 3, which makes it more difficult for the bowlers. Hard-hitting batters like Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith will be in the middle order. In the pace attack, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, and Sandeep Sharma will be in.
Probably XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (C), Liam Livingstone, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma
RCB vs PBKS: Head to Head Stats
Both teams have given tough competition to each other in IPL history. That’s what the stats suggest. Both teams have played a total of 28 games in the IPL. Punjab has won 15 matches as compared to RCB’s 13 wins. PBKS has also won three out of the last five matches. Check RCB vs PBKS Head to Head Match List.
IPL 2022: Punjab vs Bangalore Match, Pitch and Toss update
The pitch at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is equally good for both batsmen and bowlers, so we can see an even contest between the bat and ball. Both teams have a quality pace bowling attack and are top-heavy in batting. But as usual, all the pitches are better for batting and bowling in heat, which will be another factor. The teams who win the toss should go for batting second because batting second is always an advantage in T20 cricket.
DC vs MI: Players to watch out for
Virat Kohli is not just a name, he is a brand in cricket. And when it comes to the IPL, there is no other player near him. So he will definitely be the player to watch out for. The former RCB skipper is going through a lean patch, but it is just a matter of one good inning.
David Willey will be the bowler to look forward to. He is a complete T20 package. He can bowl on the powerplay and at death as well. And being a left-armer, it is always difficult for the batters to pick.
Shikhar Dhawan is without a doubt one of the best openers in white-ball cricket. His numbers will tell you that he has improved every season. And for him, age is just a number. He has complied runs in every season. So, he will be the pick of the batsmen from the Punjab camp.
Arshdeep Singh was one of the finds for Punjab last season. That’s the reason they went for him in 2022. He is a really good bowler, and his change-ups are hard to pick. And he has shown that he is improving every now and then.
IPL 2022: Predicted XI of the Match
Wicket-keeper: Dinesh Karthik (RCB)
Batsmen: Faf Du Plessis (RCB), Virat Kohli (RCB), Shikhar Dhawan (PBKS)
All-rounders: Liam Livingstone (PBKS), Rishi Dhawan (PBKS), Wanindu Hasaranga (RCB)
Bowlers: David Willey (RCB), Mohammed Siraj (RCB), Odean Smith (PBKS), Harpreet Brar (PBKS)
Tips: Faf du Plessis will be the captain of the team. Shikhar Dhawan or Liam Livingstone are ideal candidates for vice-captain. Both teams have good bowling and top-order batting, but we will back RCB to win this match.