RR vs PBKS, IPL 2023 HIGHLIGHTS: Punjab Beat Rajasthan In A Thrilling Contest
RR vs PBKS Live Score: This is only the third time that Punjab have won two games in a row at the start of an IPL season.
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Background
The Indian Premier League (IPL) action shifts to a brand new venue. As the competition returns to its home and away format, Rajasthan Royals have a new adopted home at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati where they will host Punjab Kings for their first home encounter.
Both the teams have already started off on a winning note with Rajasthan beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match in an away encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium while Punjab got the better of Kolkata Knight Riders in a home fixture in Mohali as they won by 7 runs (DLS) method.
There is little to choose between the two teams but Rajasthan were clearly the more dominant team if one compares how the two sides played in their respective first matches. Their top-order came good with each of their top-three batters scoring half-centuries and with the new ball they have one of the world's best in Trent Boult who set the tone while defending.
Punjab's top-order got starts but at least one of them should have gone on to continue to bat deeper into the innings. Just one in Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored a half-century. Having said that, with contributions from middle and lower order, they did manage to post 194. But in the bowling department they would expect a better show with only Arshdeep Singh impressive in the first game. Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis and Sikandar Raza were the other wicket-takers but all of them leaked runs.
Kagiso Rabada's return will help and in a sense could bridge the seeming gap between the two teams and could make for a mouth-watering prospect as the two sides have produced some close games in the last few seasons. Rajasthan could go ahead with the same XI.
Probable Playing XIs:
Rajasthan Royals
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (captain/wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Jason Holder, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Punjab Kings
Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, M Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada
Good night
That's it from here. Thank you joining us. The next match in the IPL 2023 will be played between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and we will be back with our coverage of that game.
RR vs PBKS LIVE
What a game. Hetmyer and Jurel brought it close but PBKS prevail by 5 runs. Two win in a row to begin the season for Punjab, just the third time that has happened.
RR vs PBKS LIVE
Ellis gets one more and this time it's the local boy Parag who departs for 20 from 12. RR- 121/5 in 14.1 overs.
RR vs PBKS LIVE
Riyan Parag and Padikkal out in the middle for Rajasthan at the moment.
RR vs PBKS LIVE
Massive moment in the game. RR were going good despite those early wickets. But they lose Samson on the last ball of the 11th over. He falls to Ellis, tried to clear the fielder there but is caught at long-off. RR- 91/4 in 11 overs. Need 107 from 54 balls.