Punjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL Tips: Punjab spin style hurts RCB

Punjab Kings v Bengaluru Royal Challengers
Sunday 20 April, 11:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Punjab Kings v Bengaluru Royal Challengers IPL team news

Punjab went second with their fifth win in seven when thumping RCB on Friday. Three wins from their last seven matches should guarantee a play-off but they will have aspirations of a top-two finish.

Glenn Maxwell was dropped with Marcus Stoinis returning to the XI and that was the right decision. Maxwell lives off reputation far too often. Yuz Chahal has hit form at a key time with six wickets in two matches. 

Possible Punjab XI: Arya (Arshdeep sub), Prab Singh, Iyer, Inglis, Wadhera, Shahshank, Stoinis, Jansen, Harpreet, Bartlett, Chahal

RCB have lost all three matches at home so will be pleased to get back on the road. A lack of depth is beginning to cost them and they look a one-dimensional outfit. In a rain-reduced contest against Punjab their batting faltered.

They posted 95 for nine and they just aren't set up to be a thrash and splash batting team. They want to build a platform with Virat Kohli and Dev Padikkal. Liam livingstone, as stated before on these pages, is surely likely to come under pressure for his place from Jacob Bethell. 

Probable RCB XI: Salt, Kohli, Patidar, Livingstone (Vhadage sub), Jitesh, Krunal, David, Kumar, Hazlewood, Dayal, Suyash

Punjab Kings v RCB IPL pitch report

It did look as those Mullanpur was a flat one. Rajasthan posted 205 and then Punjab 219 against Chennai. Then we had the chaos of Punjab defending 111 against Kolkata. it means we can't truly bet with confidence about what this surface is like. We always say bet on what you know to be true. This could be a road. Or not.

We'd say wait for the pitch report but the broadcast information is so poor these days, unless Simon Doull does it, that it cannot be relied upon.

The best advice is to wait and see with your own eyes in the first six. Punjab total runs at over 176.5 with Sportsbook could look cheap if it's the surface from the first two games. 

Punjab Kings v RCB IPL match prediction 

Punjab and RCB are 1.991/1 the pair in the first pure choice affair this IPL. It seems hard to justify. Haven't Punjab, only hours ago, just proved they are the better team?

Man-for-man Punjab have been the more talented since before a ball was bowled. And although they appear to have chaos very much in their locker (the defeat by Sunrisers may be a nadir), they tick far more boxes that RCB.

We would have had Punjab small favourites for this contest. Not least because Yuz Chahal has the ability to move the ball away from a right-hand bat-stacked top order. We keep stakes smart in case Punjab stick in a very Punjab performance. 

Punjab Kings v RCB IPL strategy

Chahal's two wickets caused consternation against RCB on Friday. But Harpreet Brar also moved the ball away from the right-hander and took two. It is a problem for RCB which was first exposed by Sai Kishore of Gujarat.

Our play in that first head-to-head was to side with Krunal Pandya, a leftie, at 40s because we thought he would be promoted up the batting order. He was and missed a golden chance for a big win. Krunal has now been cut to 18s. mean. Instead Padikkal, as the lone southpaw in the top five seems to be too big at 7/18.00.

Other options include Chahal to go over 20.5 perforamnce points (1pt per run, 10 for a catch, 20 for a wicket) at even money. But Brar at 13/27.50 for top Punjab bowler also has appeal. 

Punjab Kings v RCB IPL player bets

Kohli will be popular for runs after a flop on Friday. Batting at this level is about accepting that failure is more likely than success. Kohli pushes that to the limit, of course, and he will be lined up for a score here. With uncertainty surrounding the pitch the 5/61.84 that he goes over 30.5 runs may be the more astute option. 

Now read more Cricket tips and previews here!