The State of Play
The resurgent Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to maintain their unlikely play-off push in IPL 2024 when they take on the Punjab Kings tomorrow.
The Royal Challengers looked down and out three weeks ago when they propped up the table with a record of one win from eight games.
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Since that point, however, they have found their form. Three successive wins, each by a convincing margin, have moved them up the table and, while a top-four finish remains a long-shot, they are in with a chance.
They need to win their last three games and rely on other results going their way to sneak in.
Whatever happens, captain Faf du Plessis is happy his side have turned their fortunes around.
Speaking after their most recent win – a four-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans – he said: “We’ve been really good the last few games, the way we’ve played with bat and ball. Aggressive with the bat, unbelievable in the field.”
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Du Plessis himself starred against the Titans with 64, breaking a run of poor form.
The Kings also have eight points from 11 games and, like tomorrow’s opponents, require an unblemished end to the regular season to have any hope of advancing.
They don’t have the same momentum, though, having lost their most recent outing, a 28-run defeat to the Chennai Super Kings.
They were in the contest at the halfway point having restricted the Super Kings to 167 for nine from their 20 overs. But a woeful start to their reply which saw them slump to nine for two set the tone for a dismal reply which ended at 139 for nine.
Captain Sam Curran said: “We were happy as a group at the halfway stage but unfortunately, it was not meant to be. We have a couple of days off and then we play against RCB. We have to move on and keep fighting hard.”
𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐡-𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 personified! 🔥#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #JazbaHaiPunjabi #TATAIPL2024 pic.twitter.com/YjTz74agbf
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) May 8, 2024
Expected line-ups
Punjab Kings: P Singh, Bairstow, Rossouw, S Singh, Curran (c), J Sharma (wk), Brar, Patel, Chahar, Rabada, A Singh
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Kohli, Du Plessis (c), Jacks, Patidar, Maxwell, Green, Karthik (wk), Singh, Sharma, Siraj, Vyshak
How to watch
Sky have the rights to show the IPL to UK viewers in 2024 and will broadcast every game live. Thursday’s match will be shown on Sky Sports Cricket from 2.50pm BST.
In India, the games can be streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website. They are also available across the Star Sports Network.
Dharamshala Special: What makes the stadium iconic? 🏟
The picturesque Himalayas in the backdrop brings out a smile on every cricketer’s face and turns them into models and photographers! 🏔📸
Here’s our Dharamshala feature on @bigbasket_com presents RCB Bold Diaries!… pic.twitter.com/335XxpIEhg
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 8, 2024
Prediction
Momentum at this stage of the season is key and that is firmly with RCB. Their line-up always looked better than their results suggested and they are finally proving it. The problem is they may have left it too late.
In Virat Kohli, they possess the most consistent batter in the competition with Du Plessis, Will Jacks and Glenn Maxwell able to provide matchwinning contributions. And with Mohammed Siraj improving with the ball, alongside Yash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyshak, they present a formidable challenge.
With that in mind, we are going for the Royal Challengers to get the job done and pile the pressure on the teams around them.
