RCB out to seal play-off berth, Punjab Kings to arrest freefall
Royal Challengers Bengaluru would look to exploit vulnerabilities of a profligate Punjab Kings bowling line-up to seal a play-off berth in the Indian Premier League in Dharamsala on Sunday.
In the only day game scheduled at the scenic Dharamsala stadium, the top draw without an iota of doubt is Virat Kohli, fresh off a hundred in the previous game. A sizeable number of fans have already made their way up to the mountains from Delhi and Punjab to see the larger than life Kohli bat in the breathtaking backdrop of the Dhauladhar range. The limited infrastructure in place in the city is pushed to its limits.
Defending champions, the only team which has maintained consistency throughout the tournament, are clear favourites against Punjab Kings, who are in a freefall, having lost five games in a row after being the most dominant team in the first half of the tournament.
While RCB are sitting comfortably on the points table, a sixth loss for Punjab Kings would effectively shut the playoff door on the Shreyas Iyer-led side.
In both the games played here, the Punjab Kings failed to defend 210 and 200 after failing to control the last five overs. In fact, they have lost the most number of games (10) after posting 200-plus total in the format’s history.
The team needs to rejig its bowling combination, with the likes of Xavier Bartlett and Marco Jansen proving expensive throughout the tournament. Arshdeep Singh has managed to bring his economy rate under 10 with his frugal returns in the last game, while Azmatullah Omarzai made an immediate impact with bat and ball in his first game of the season.
Vijaykumar Vyshak has been out of the side, and perhaps the team goes back to him in search of much-needed control in the middle and death overs.
The batting department, which has done well overall, is not firing on all cylinders in the last few games, but it is the bowling that has let the team down repeatedly.
The pitch has offered seam movement thus far and was on the slower side in the MI-PBKS fixture.
RCB, on the other hand, are playing like a well-oiled machine. Kohli, at 37 years of age, continues to redefine consistency, having smashed a 60-ball 105 against KKR in Raipur.
Their pace department, including Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, will enjoy bowling on the Dharamsala given the conditions.
“We have played well in the tournament, and I think everyone came in at a different stage and did [well] for the team. I think that’s a great sign. And being at the top of the table, it’s always a good thing. Good for the team. And as I said, we are taking just one game at a time, one step at a time,” said captain Rajat Patidar.
With all the pressure on Punjab Kings, expect RCB to produce another clinical performance, with the majority of the fans cheering every run that Kohli scores against the opposition.
