Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2021 Match 48: RCB vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report

With just two spots up for grabs, the race for the IPL 2021 playoffs is heating up. In that regard, the upcoming fixture between Punjab Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah on Sunday will be extremely crucial for the wider scheme of things.

With 14 points in the bank after 11 games, the Royal Challengers Bangalore are better placed as compared to their opponents but given their recent record against PBKS – three defeats in as many games – they can’t afford to take the KL Rahul-led unit lightly.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, basically need to win every game from herein to give themselves the best chance to qualify for the playoffs. They scrapped to a five-wicket win against KKR on Friday but Rahul’s conservative approach and a misfiring middle-order still remains a cause of worry for them.

Can PBKS make it three-in-three against RCB in the UAE or will Virat’s men register their third consecutive win of the second leg?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Punjab Kings

• KL Rahul: The stylish opener’s conservative approach in the last couple of seasons has been one of the biggest talking points, but one thing no one can deny is his consistency.
• He scored yet another 50 in the last game and the Karnataka lad loves batting against his home franchise. In 9 innings, he has scored 460 runs at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 155.4 with three 50+ scores and a hundred.
• Mayank Agarwal: With Rahul playing the anchor role, Mayank, courtesy of his intentful batting, has proved to be the real MVP with the bat for his side.
• Agarwal has scored 202 runs in 9 innings against RCB at an average of 22.4. However, he is coming off a brilliant 27-ball 40 in the last game and his record at Sharjah read: 161 runs in 4 innings at 40.2 and a strike rate of 176.9 with one hundred.
• Shah Rukh Khan: The hard-hitting batsman smashed an unbeaten 9-ball 22 in the last game and he could well prove to be the clincher for his team if it boils down to a tricky situation at the death.
• Ravi Bishnoi: The young leg-spinner claimed 2/22 in four overs in the last game and has taken a total of 11 wickets in 7 games this season.
• His record against RCB: 5 wickets in three games at an average of 15.6 and an economy rate of 7.09.
• Arshdeep Singh: The young left-arm seamer has turned out to be a revelation for the Punjab Kings. In 10 games, he has claimed 16 wickets with three of them coming in the last game.
• His record in Sharjah: 2 wickets in 3 games. He has played just 1 game against RCB in which he registered figures of 1/20.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

• Virat Kohli: The skipper may have scored a couple of half centuries in the UAE leg but he hasn’t looked at his flamboyant best, especially against the spinners.
• His record vs PBKS: 716 runs in 26 innings at 27.53 at a strike rate of 127.85. His record at Sharjah: 221 runs in 6 innings at an average of 55.2 and a strike rate of 125.6 with one 50+ score.
• Devdutt Padikkal: The young southpaw has endured a couple of average outings following his 50-ball 70 against CSK and he will be looking to once again notch up a big score.
• His record at Sharjah: 125 runs in 4 innings at an average of 31.2 and a strike rate of 134.4 with one 50+ score.
• Glenn Maxwell: The swashbuckler has notched up back-to-back match-winning half-centuries- 56 (37) vs MI, 50* (30) vs RR- and he will be looking to make it three in a row against his former franchise.
• He managed a golden duck in his last outing against PBKS earlier this season. Maxwell’s record at Sharjah: 208 runs in 4 innings at an average of 69.3 and a strike rate of 196.2 with two 50+ scores.
• AB de Villiers: He may have had a poor time in the UAE leg thus far but expect the champion cricket to storm back in the upcoming games.
• His record against Punjab: 710 runs in 22 innings at an average of 32.27 and a strike rate of 158.8. De Villiers has batted 5 times in Sharjah, scoring 122 runs at an average of 30.5 and a strike rate of 143.5.
• Harshal Patel: The leading wicket-taker of the ongoing season, Harshal has bamboozled one and all with his deadly slower ball.
• He claimed three wickets in the last game and a hat-trick prior to that. With the pitch in Sharjah expected to be sluggish, the seamer could once again be in business at the backend.
• Yuzvendra Chahal: The Haryana leggie seems to have regained his mojo in the UAE leg. He claimed a match-winning 3-wicket haul against MI and backed it up with an equally good performance against Rajasthan- 2/18 in four overs.
• His record vs Punjab: 22 wickets in 15 games. He has claimed 7 wickets in 6 outings in Sharjah at an average of 18.9 and an economy rate of 5.91.

Stats and Facts

• Both sides have locked horns 27 times with Punjab leading the ledger 15-12.
• Punjab have won each of their last three fixtures against RCB including their previous encounter in Sharjah last year.
• Yuzvendra Chahal (22) has the most wickets in PBKS-RCB fixtures.

Possible Playing XI

Punjab Kings: 1. KL Rahul (c & wk), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Nicholas Pooran, 4. Aiden Markram, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Shah Rukh Khan, 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Nathan Ellis/Chris Jordan, 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Ravi Bishnoi, 11. Arshdeep Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Virat Kohli (c), 2. Devdutt Padikkal, 3. KS Bharat (wk), 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. AB de Villiers, 6. Daniel Christian, 7. George Garton, 8. Shahbaz Ahmed, 9. Harshal Patel, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Sharjah pitch report and weather conditions

The newly relaid pitch at Sharjah has proved to be slow and sluggish thus far with batsmen having a tough time against the change of pace. Much of the same should be the case in the forthcoming games.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be dry and sunny. The temperatures are set to hover between 30-38 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set to be around 51 percent.

Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Base team:

2, 3, 4 player teams

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

Both sides are extremely unpredictable. But given the edge that PBKS hold over RCB in recent encounters, they will start as slight favorites.