Rcb vs pbks playing 11 royal challengers bengaluru vs punjab kings predicted playing 11 for today's ipl match

Rcb vs pbks playing 11 royal challengers bengaluru vs punjab kings predicted playing 11 for today's ipl match

Today's IPL match promises a thrilling showdown as Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB currently hold third place in the standings, while PBKS are hot on their heels at fourth.

Punjab will walk in high on momentum, having edged out KKR by 16 runs in a tense, low-scoring encounter. However, they’re well aware that RCB, with its solid mix of explosive batters and varied bowling options, presents a tougher challenge.

Adding a layer of intrigue to this match is the return of two ex-RCB stars — Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell — who are well-acquainted with the dynamics of the Bengaluru pitch. The duo will no doubt have taken note of RCB batters’ recent struggles against spin, particularly against R Sai Kishore, Kuldeep Yadav, and Vipraj Nigam.

RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik had candidly admitted after their defeat to Delhi Capitals that the Chinnaswamy surface isn’t playing true to its batting-friendly reputation. “It’s been challenging to bat on. This isn’t the pitch we expected,” Karthik remarked.

Chahal, coming off a match-winning four-wicket haul against KKR, could be key once again. Known more for his crafty lengths than big-turning deliveries, Chahal’s ability to tempt batters outside off-stump often leads to mistimed shots and deep catches — a tactic that could pay dividends on this surface.

RCB vs PBKS playing XI prediction

RCB predicted XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

RCB Impact sub: Suyash Sharma

PBKS predicted XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Sub: Yash Thakur

Pitch Report: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

Traditionally known as a high-scoring venue, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has offered unexpected assistance to bowlers this season. Karthik confirmed that despite requests for good batting tracks, the pitches have remained on the slower side. “We’ll definitely have a word with the curator, but we trust him to do his job,” he said.

As RCB look to bounce back from back-to-back losses, and PBKS aim to build on their momentum, all eyes will be on how the pitch behaves — and whether spin once again becomes the game-changer.

RCB vs PBKS: Livestreaming

The broadcast of RCB vs PBKS will be available on Star Sports Network. The live streaming will be available on JioCinema.

Squads

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.

Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Suryansh Shedge, Praveen Dubey, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Vishnu Vinod, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash.