In a high-stakes face-off in Dharamshala, Punjab Kings are set to lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a must-win showdown. As the league stage enters its final stretch, both sides remain in the top four, but the momentum surrounding the two teams paints completely different pictures heading into this clash. For Punjab Kings, the season has taken a disappointing turn, with the side desperately eyeing a comeback. At the start of the tournament, PBKS looked unstoppable, storming through the opening phase of the tournament unbeaten in their first seven matches. Their batting unit was performing collectively and the bowlers were also delivering upto the standards.

However, PBKS have experienced an unimaginable slump in the most painful way possible, with five consecutive defeats completely derailing their campaign. As of now, Punjab are no longer in complete control of their playoff destiny. Even if they manage to win both of their remaining matches, their qualification will still depend on other results. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on the other hand, come with confidence and momentum on their side.

Although RCB did encounter a slight dip in the middle of the tournament with a couple of disappointing defeats, they bounced back in impressive fashion with back-to-back victories in Raipur. Their latest victories have reignited their campaign and placed them on the verge of securing a playoff berth. For them, one more win will be enough to book their place in the playoffs. More importantly, victories in both remaining matches could help them secure a top-two finish. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 37

PBKS won - 18

RCB won - 19

PBKS Probable XII: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

RCB Probable XII: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood