Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan set up the run chase with a 71-run opening stand
Hello and welcome to Match 3 between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, set to be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Both teams have quite a revamped and revived squad coming into this season. Who do you think will make an early impact? Tweet to us on #CricbuzzQnV with your views and questions.
PBKS WIN Late power-hitting by Odean Smith and Shahrukh Khan has eventually helped Punjab Kings chase down the 206-run target with five wickets in hand. The two batters launched the attack on Mohammad Siraj and Harshal Patel to overhaul the massive score with one over to spare and help their side to a winning start in their opening encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore
TWO IN TWO Mohammad Siraj has struck twice in two deliveries to bring RCB back into the contest. First he ends the stay of the dangerous Bhanuka Rajapaksa and then traps Raj Angad Bawa legbefore for a first-ball duck.
WICKET Anuj Rawat has plucked a superb catch at mid wicket to end Shikhar Dhawan’s stay. This contest is promising to go down the wire.
Bhanuka’s attack has left the RCB bowlers unsettled
Bhanuka very smart. Using short boundary to good effect
04:55 PM  Mar 03, 2022
WICKET Wanindu Hasaranga strikes off the first ball. Mayank pulls a short delivery straight to the fielder at square leg. 71 for 1
50 PARTNERSHIP Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan have made an aggressive start to Punjab’s chase, bringing up the half century stand in less than 5 overs.
Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal have walked out to open the chase for PBKS
Dinesh Karthik’s late blitz – an unbeaten 14-ball 32 – has powered RCB to a strong 205 for 2. But for as big as that total is, will it be enough on the batting paradise at the DY Patil Stadium with dew set to play a part? Punjab Kings may not have their best batting line up available to them but there are plenty of hard-hitters in the XI.
A wicket-keeper batter showing his 360-degree play. Not that it’s new for @RCBTweets but this time it’s from DK instead of AB. Brilliant display of power hitting with class by macha @DineshKarthik
Superb so far, now defend it Bangalore… Time to shine with ball. #RCBvsPBKS
03:45 PM  Mar 03, 2022
WICKET After dropping Faf du Plessis on 7, Shahrukh Khan has taken a superb forward diving catch to end the RCB skipper’s innings on 88. Maybe, it has come a little too late?
Is it the correct stretegy to get set till halfway and then fire with all your power exactly what RCB doing RN
#CricbuzzQnV
03:20 PM  Mar 03, 2022
50 on RCB be debut for skipper Faf du Plessis!
#CricbuzzQnv It would be really exciting to see King kohli without captaincy role, no pressure at all so it could be more dangerous for bowlers…
02:40 PM  Mar 03, 2022
WICKET Anuj Rawat has been cleaned up by Rahul Chahar. The southpaw, who was looking to take the attack to the PBKS bowlers, misses a slog sweep, tricked by the dip. 50 for 1
50 PARTNERSHIPIt’s been a bit of a struggle for the RCB openers, but Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat have picked up pace and helped bring up the half century of the partnership
DROPPEDShahrukh Khan has dropped a straightforward chance at short mid wicket, giving Faf du Plessis a life. Will this prove costly?
RCB off to good start:Sandeep Sharma starts with a one-run opening over, bowling four dots to Du Plessis. There is swing on offer but Arshdeep is off his mark, bowling plenty of wides and conceding leg-byes in the second over. Du Plessis scores the first boundary by picking a Sandeep delivery over midwicket. Rawat heaves a six off Sandeep to get off the mark. RCB are 23/0 after three overs.
Punjab Kings have won the toss and elected to field
Teams:
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Mayank Agarwal( c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Raj Bawa, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar
Both teams will have new captains but similar motivations, like in every previous season – to win the IPL trophy which has evaded them for 14 seasons. Can the new-look teams change the fortunes of their respective franchises? While we wait for the toss, here are the previews you can catch up on.
Bharath R: Can Faf and the bowlers end RCB’s trophy drought?
Purnima: PBKS bank on batting might to ramp up performance
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