IPL 2021: Match 48, RCB vs PBKS Match Prediction – Who will win today’s IPL match?

Preview 

Royal Challengers Bangalore are set to lock horns with Punjab Kings in Match No.48 of the 2021 Indian Premier League on Sunday, October 3 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. The Challengers, led by Virat Kohli are placed at third in the table with a poor net run rate of -0.200.

But the seven-wicket win against the Rajasthan Royals would give them a lot of confidence. Glenn Maxwell and Harshal Patel have kept shining bright for them. But RCB need to be wary as earlier year, Harpreet Brar’s all-round show blew them away. KL Rahul also has decent numbers against them.

The Kings, on the other hand, are still not in the top four despite their win over the Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. Their net run rate of -0.236 isn’t the best either. With two games left, a defeat in the next match will make their final game on October 7 against Chennai Super Kings a must-win affair.

Match Details

Match – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings – 48th match

Venue – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.

Time – 3:30 PM IST, 10:00 AM GMT

Where to watch live – Star Sports Network, Hotstar

Pitch Report

The pitch in Sharjah has been a tough one for batting. Run-making hasn’t been easy by any stretch of the imagination. The spinners are likely to make hay on the surface. Chasing should be the preferred option for teams.

Avg first innings score: 136 (4 matches in the IPL 2021 at Sharjah)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost – 1, Tied – 0

Probable Playing XIs:

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, KS Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Dan Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, Kyle Jamieson/George Garton, Harshal Patel, Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Bench: Akash Deep, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, Pavan Deshpande, George Garton/Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Suyash Prabhudessai, Rajat Patidar, Wanindu Hasaranga

Punjab Kings

KL Rahul (C & WK), Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Fabian Allen, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Bench: Chris Jordan, Jalaj Saxena, Moises Henriques, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Prabhsimran Singh, Saurabh Kumar, Murugan Ashwin, Adil Rashid, Ishan Porel

Head-to-Head

Overall

Played – 27 | Royal Challengers Bangalore – 12 | Punjab Kings – 15 | N/R – 0

In the UAE

Played – 3 | Royal Challengers Bangalore – 0 | Punjab Kings – 3 | N/R – 0

Probable best batter of the match

KL Rahul— Punjab Kings

KL Rahul has extraordinary numbers against the Challengers in the IPL. In 10 matches, the right-hander has notched 462 runs at an average of 92.40 and a strike rate of 156.08. Last year, he also played an unbeaten 132-run knock against the same opposition with two fifties. In IPL 2021, Rahul has racked up 489 runs at an average of 54.33 and a strike rate of 130.74.

Probable best bowler of the match

Ravi Bishnoi– Punjab Kings

Ravi Bishnoi has been outstanding for the Kings on the ongoing edition of the IPL. In seven matches, the leg-spinner has picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.07. He has picked up wickets in the powerplay as well as in the middle overs. Bishnoi has good numbers against the Challengers, having picked up five wickets from 11 overs at an economy rate of 7.09.

Today’s match prediction: Punjab Kings to win the match.

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.