Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
PBKS vs RR Dream11 Prediction Possible 11 Pitch Report: IPL 2023 Match 66 | PBKS vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today | Dharamshala Pitch Report
Despite a rough second half to the season, which includes an embarrassing – and potentially fatal – 59 all-out against RCB, Rajasthan Royals (RR) still have a strong chance at reaching the IPL 2023 playoffs. Despite their capitulation, their net run rate is a still positive 0.140, meaning that any solid victory today can put them above Bangalore into the top four.
A scenario. If RR score 180 batting first, they can move past RCB (0.180) on net run rate by restricting Punjab Kings (PBKS) to 166. If their batting clicks, however, they have the potential to win by a bigger margin.
However, while that looks good in theory, RR are not playing the kind of cricket they are capable of. So, the focus needs to be to get the win first and put the pressure on RCB ahead of their final match at home to ladder leaders Gujarat Titans.
What about PBKS? Their net run rate of -0.308 makes it very difficult to qualify. With the scenario of 180 batting first, Shikhar Dhawan’s team will then need to roll the Royals for 52. Could you imagine RR getting rolled in the 50s twice in a row? Safe to say the Kings need 220+ batting first or to dismiss RR cheaply bowling first to have any chance, along with a heavy RCB defeat on Sunday.
First and foremost, PBKS need to get their tactics right. Shikhar Dhawan rightly came in for criticism with regards to his rotation of bowlers in the death overs, so his tactics in this do-or-die clash will be interesting to see.

Match Details
- Date: 19 May, 2023.
- Location: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.
- Time: 7:30pm (IST).
- For more cricket fixtures around the world, visit Fixture Calendar.
IPL 2023 Match 66: PBKS vs RR Possible Playing XIIs
PBKS may stick with the same team, unless they decide to bring in
Punjab Kings (possible impact player substitute to impact player): 1. Shikhar Dhawan (c), 2. Prabhsimran Singh, 3. Atharva Taide/Sikandar Raza, 4. Liam Livingstone (OS), 5. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6. M Shahrukh Khan, 7. Sam Curran (OS), 8. Harpreet Brar, 9. Rahul Chahar, 10. Kagiso Rabada/Rishi Dhawan, 11. Nathan Ellis (OS), 12. Arshdeep Singh
It remains to be seen if Trent Boult is available for this match.
Rajasthan Royals (possible impact player substitute to impact player): 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Jos Buttler (OS), 3. Sanju Samson (c & wk), 4. Devdutt Padikkal, 5. Joe Root (OS), 6. Shimron Hetmyer (OS), 7. Dhruv Jurel, 8. R Ashwin, 9. Adam Zampa/Trent Boult (OS), 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. Sandeep Sharma, 12. KM Asif
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Punjab Kings:
- Shikhar Dhawan struck 86* (56) against Royals earlier this season. Overall against RR, Dhawan has scored 662 runs at an average of 33.10 and strike rate of 129.55.
- Dhawan has a good record against Boult in all T20s: 91 balls, 114 runs, two dismissals.
- Prabhsimran Singh smashed 60 off just 34 balls against RR in the previous meeting. Overall this season, Singh is striking at 150.84, including a century two games ago.
- Liam Livingstone smashed 94 (48) two nights ago on this ground. This included five fours and nine sixes. If PBKS are to get a big score today, one feels Livingstone needs to be at the heart of it.
- Nathan Ellis was man of the match against Royals earlier in IPL 2023. He took 4/30, where he dismissed Buttler, Samson, Parag and Padikkal.
- Kagiso Rabada has taken ten wickets in six matches against RR at a strike rate of 14.20. Arshdeep Singh has dismissed Jos Buttler once in 16 balls in the IPL (25 runs) and Yashasvi Jaiswal twice in eight balls (six runs).
Rajasthan Royals:
- Jos Buttler has an excellent record against Rabada in T20s. The opener has struck 96 runs off just 56 balls with one dismissal.
- Since the start of 2018, Buttler has scored 325 runs at an average of 40.63 and strike rate of 151.16 against Punjab.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal will be looking to bounce back quickly after a rare failure last match. He is the third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2023 with 575 at an average of 47.91 and strike rate of 166.18.
- Sanju Samson loves playing Punjab Kings. In 16 matches, he has smashed 594 runs at an average of 45.69 and strike rate of 153.89. This includes a 25-ball 42 earlier this season.
- Samson has smashed 56 runs at a strike rate of 193.1 against Arshdeep Singh (one dismissal).
- RR could look to use R Ashwin early to Dhawan. Ashwin has bowled 109 deliveries to the opener in the IPL with four dismissals at a batting strike rate of just 84.4.
- Yuzvendra Chahal has bowled nine deliveries to Liam Livingstone in the IPL. He has dismissed him once and conceded just four runs.
- Chahal has taken 29 wickets in 18 matches against Kings (econ. 8.12).
Other Stats and Facts
- Head-to-head: Matches 25, PBKS 11, RR 14.
- PBKS (197/4) beat RR (192/7) earlier in IPL 2023.
- Jitesh Sharma has scored 177 runs at an average of 25.3 and strike rate of 152.6 when batting first this season. When batting second, he has been dismissed five times at an average of 17.6 and strike rate of 163.
- Shikhar Dhawan vs Yuzvendra Chahal in the IPL: 78 balls, 109 runs, three dismissals.
- Sandeep Sharma at Dharamshala: 6 T20s, 10 wickets, avg. 14.20, econ. 5.91.
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala Pitch Report and Weather
The relaid surface at Dharamshala saw movement available up front for the seamers in the PBKS-DC match two nights ago. Fast bowlers should be encouraged to pitch the ball up further to see what swing and seam is on offer.
Delhi ended up scoring 200+ on what turned out to be an excellent batting pitch as the night wore on. Punjab responded with 189, but were undone by a slow start that can give new ball bowlers encouragement for today’s match.
There is a chance of afternoon thunderstorms according to AccuWeather, but conditions should be clear for the match. A mild evening is forecast, which is a change from the very hot conditions at other grounds around India.

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IPL 2023 Match 66: PBKS vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today Match May 19
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.
Option 1:

Option 2:

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IPL 2023 Match 66: PBKS vs RR Match Prediction – Who will win?
Royals to win.
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