The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will aim to gain some positive momentum. So far, their campaign has been halting. The Shikhar Dhawan captained team faces league leaders Rajasthan Royals (RR). Their clash is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
In their prior matches, PBKS and RR endured narrow defeats. PBKS lost to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Meanwhile, RR suffered a loss against Gujarat Titans (GT).
There are certain similarities between the two teams in terms of problems in their top order and a formidable new ball assault. However, the spin department and the middle order divide the two sides, and RR reigns dominant.
RR has been prospering, with Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag in good form. PBKS, on the other hand, is desperately missing Liam Livingstone, while middle-order players such as Sikandar Raza and Sam Curran have failed to make an impression. They have been overly reliant on their new finishing combo of Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh.
The two franchises produce thrilling matches often. They’ve carved out a rivalry. Though separated by six teams in the points table, this encounter might not be as predictable on the ground as it seems on paper.
On that topic, here are three player fights to watch out for in IPL 2024 Match 27 between PBKS and RR.
1. Shikhar Dhawan vs Trent Boult
Trent Boult bowling at Shikhar Dhawan. A short-format horror story. Dhawan struggles with the Kiwi pacer’s mastery. Movement leaves him baffled. Accuracy torments. No solution in sight. The nightmare continues.
If the ball travels around in the air, the senior batsman might be in trouble, possibly being dismissed for the twelfth time by the left-arm pacer in the shortest format. He has not scored in the last two innings, while Boult is hoping to rebound after going wicketless in the previous two games.
The two have faced one other 17 times in the shortest format, with Boult dominating proceedings. The left-arm bowler has removed Dhawan nine times and given only 141 runs from 236 deliveries.
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Arshdeep Singh
Yashasvi Jaiswal had high expectations for the 2024 season, particularly given how well he adapted and excelled on the national team. However, he is yet to hit a notable knock in the present edition, and in the forthcoming battle with RR, he will have to overcome the first barrier in the shape of Arshdeep Singh.
The left-arm bowler bowled 4-29 in his previous game and will try to keep his wicket-taking streak going. considering RR’s early season struggles, an early breakthrough is undoubtedly on his radar, and considering Jaiswal’s poor form, the meeting will be critical in the context of the game.
The two young guns have squared off four times in total, with Arshdeep Singh defeating Jaiswal thrice. The left-handed hitter has hit a run-a-ball 15 against the other kid.
3. Sanju Samson vs Harpreet Brar
This season, the RR captain has been brutal against spin bowlers. Although he normally begins a season on a positive note, this time he has maintained his form and remained steady, which has aided his and the team’s case.
Last time out, Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag survived the whole middle over phase against GT in Jaipur, which included seven overs of spin bowling from Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan. Samson was savage against spinners even in the triumph against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Although PBKS’ top spinner Harpreet Brar has had a decent season, he was the most costly bowler for his team in the defeat to PBKS.
Harpreet Brar will be under fire unless he can exploit Samson’s new strategy against spin, which has yielded a strike rate of 155.49 since 2021, up from 122 before. In either case, the clash will be both fascinating and defining.
Samson has only faced the left-arm spinner once in his career. He scored 12 runs off eight balls with a strike rate of 150.