English
Just when it looked that this edition of the Indian Premier League would finish on the expected lines, things started getting muddling in the middle of the points table. We now have five teams having either 12 points or 10 points to their names and none of the ten teams have qualified yet, at least mathematically. While Gujarat Titans will be looking to finish among the top two sides, the battle for the third and the fourth spot is growing with every passing match.
Up next in the tournament, Rajasthan Royals will be taking on the Punjab Kings in what is an important match for both these sides. The Royals have a foot inside the door guarding the playoffs but would need to win at least two of their remaining fixtures. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are in the lower half of the ladder, but a win here will push them right back into the contention. This is, by all means, going to be a decisive match for both these sides and we expect them both to come out hard at each other.
The match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals is to be played at the iconic venue of the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 7th May 2022.
PBKS VS RR TEAM PREVIEWS
PUNJAB KINGS
Punjab Kings flipped almost their complete lineup coming into the competition but their campaign hasn’t been too different from what it was like last year. They have struggled for consistency and that is apparent in the situation they are in at the moment. They practically can afford to lose only one match going forward and given the fixtures, they have lined up next, it is not going to be easy.
At the moment on the ladder, the Kings are placed at the seventh spot with 10 points from as many matches. Going forward, they would not only have to gather some points but also improve on their net run rate of -0.229, which could come in handy as things get tight up ahead. A loss here would put them in a difficult spot and they will be desperate to avoid that in this match.
We saw the Kings make a few adjustments to their batting order in the last match with Jonny Bairstow coming up the order to open with Shikhar Dhawan. Even though Punjab Kings ended up winning the match, the promotion of Bairstow didn’t prove to be the solution that they were looking for. We expect them to persist with the change, given that Mayank Agarwal is a better player of spin and is, therefore, better equipped to handle middle-overs.
On paper, Punjab Kings have an excellent side with all bases covered. Shikhar Dhawan has played the role of anchor beautifully of late while Bhanuka Rajapaksha and Liam Livingstone have been terrific exponents of middle-over enforcers. A lot would depend on how the middle-order does for them, especially given the depth, or lack thereof, in the Kings’ batting order.
On the bowling front as well, the Kings are a bit too over-reliant on Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada. Even though Arshdeep has been economical, he has not picked up wickets. Rabada, on the other hand, has been amongst the wickets but has been a tad too expensive. With Rahul Chahar’s wavering form, the onus will be on Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada to lead the Kings’ bowling attack against what is one of the most potent batting units in the competition.
Overall, Punjab Kings rely heavily on the individuals to turn up and it has been apparent with the way their matches have panned out. They would need their match-winners to contribute big time here and if that happens, the Royals will have their work cut out.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS
Rajasthan Royals spectacularly started their wagon, maintaining a position in the top two for most of their campaign. However, they are beginning to lose a bit of steam as the tournament is progressing and their limitations are popping up. Having said that, they have been a tad unlucky with the toss and will be hoping to see the coin fall their way in the matches to come.
As it currently stands on the points table, Rajasthan Royals are placed at the third spot and another win here could push them to the second spot, thanks to their decent net run rate of 0.340. The thing that works against them is that a loss here will mean that they drop down into the mid-table muddle, which is something that they would be desperate to avoid, especially after the kind of start they had.
On paper, Rajasthan Royals have a decent unit with a power-packed batting unit coupled with an equipped bowling attack. While they have so far been carried well by Jos Buttler, they have a decent enough set of batsmen to follow in the middle-order who all can hit the ground running. Having said that, the issue concerning the depth in their batting has been apparent. Also, they have been guilty of sending in Shimron Hetmyer a little too late in the last couple of matches.
On the bowling front, the Royals have done an excellent job with Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Ashwin being their stalwarts in the middle overs. Although they were not able to defend the total in the last match, the effort that they put in was certainly commendable.
All in all, there isn’t a lot that the Royals have done wrong and their position on the ladder reflects that. Another win here will boost their qualification chances massively and that is exactly what they will be aiming for. With the kind of form, the likes of Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Sanju Samson, and Yuzvendra Chahal are in, beating them will take some effort from the Kings.
MATCH DETAILS
Match: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals – Match 52
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Date & Time: 7th May 2022 at 3:30 PM (IST)
TOSS PREDICTION IN TODAY’S MATCH PREDICTION
The toss is going to play an important in the result of every match of IPL 2022 as we had observed in the previous matches. According to toss prediction, the team who will win the toss will elect to field first as defending had been difficult in the most recent matches of IPL.
PITCH REPORT AND CONDITIONS
The 52nd match of IPL T20, 2022 is going to be held at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. We had observed in the previous matches played here that the pitch here at this venue is good for batting in early overs. The track has a good amount of pace and bounce which allows the batsmen to the good cricketing shorts but this ground also have big boundaries which can be a plus point for the bowlers. A score of 190 plus seems to be a par score.
WEATHER REPORT FOR TODAY’S MATCH
The weather forecast for Mumbai is good for this cricket match. There are almost no chances of rain in the region and we are hopeful that we will have a full match to enjoy.
WINNING CHANCES OF TODAY’S MATCH FOR THE BOTH TEAMS
Punjab Kings is overall a strong team when we compare it with Rajasthan Royals. They have the best players in the t20 format of cricket. The batting order of this team is also strong and some well-known hitters of the t20 format are part of the squad of this team, so the winning chances of today’s match for Punjab Kings have been increased. The equation of who will win today’s cricket match prediction and who will win the cricket match today is mentioned as under.
Punjab Kings have a 52% chance to win this match
Rajasthan Royals have a 48% chance to win this match
Premier League 2022-23: Best bets, Predictions and Futures
The Premier League season begins on August 5, meaning teams have wrapped up preseason tours and are looking towards the start of the new campaign. Everyone starts from scratch, but certain teams are no doubt ahead of the pack concerning their title chances. Manchester...
