Gujarat Titans will be looking to continue their dominant run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they take on Punjab Kings on Friday. The Hardik Pandya-led side are unbeaten in the tournament till now while Punjab Kings won two out of their three encounters and are in the fifth position.<o:p></o:p>

Gujarat Titans were impressive with both bat and ball as they defeat Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in their two matches. While Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson were the stars with the ball, Shubman Gill performed brilliantly with the bat to guide his team to victory.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-rishabh-pant-handed-hefty-fine-for-slow-over-rate-against-lucknow-super-giants-469291" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: Rishabh Pant handed hefty fine for slow over rate against LSG</a>

The other positive for the Gujarat Titans is the performance from skipper Hardik Pandya who has taken the No 4 slot in the batting line-up and has started bowling once again after injury.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings have mainly depended on their batting prowess till now and an off day resulted in their loss against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the explosive batting of Liam Livingstone and Odean Smith with the experience of Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal create a perfect mix for them.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-former-india-opener-lauds-prithvi-shaw-after-quickfire-fifty-against-lukcnow-super-giants-469186" hreflang="en">Former India opener lauds Prithvi Shaw after quickfire fifty against LSG</a>

The team can be further strengthened as Jonny Bairstow is all set to make his IPL 2022 debut.<o:p></o:p>

Match prediction for PBKS vs GT: The match up pits one of the best batting line ups in the tournament featuring the likes of Liam Livingstone, Shikhar Dhawan and Odean Smith against one of the best bowling units with the likes of Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson and Rashid Khan. While there is very little to separate the two teams, Gujarat Titans will hold a slight advantage considering their bowling might and the solid run of form from Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.<o:p></o:p>

Gujarat Titans will be looking to continue their dominant run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they take on Punjab Kings on Friday. The Hardik Pandya-led side are unbeaten in the tournament till now while Punjab Kings won two out of their three encounters and are in the fifth position.

Gujarat Titans will be looking to continue their dominant run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they take on Punjab Kings on Friday. The Hardik Pandya-led side are unbeaten in the tournament till now while Punjab Kings won two out of their three encounters and are in the fifth position. Gujarat Titans were impressive with both bat and ball as they defeat Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in their two matches. While Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson were the stars with the ball, Shubman Gill performed brilliantly with the bat to guide his team to victory. Also read | IPL 2022: Rishabh Pant handed hefty fine for slow over rate against LSG The other positive for the Gujarat Titans is the performance from skipper Hardik Pandya who has taken the No 4 slot in the batting line-up and has started bowling once again after injury. Punjab Kings have mainly depended on their batting prowess till now and an off day resulted in their loss against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the explosive batting of Liam Livingstone and Odean Smith with the experience of Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal create a perfect mix for them. Also read | Former India opener lauds Prithvi Shaw after quickfire fifty against LSG The team can be further strengthened as Jonny Bairstow is all set to make his IPL 2022 debut. Match prediction for PBKS vs GT: The match up pits one of the best batting line ups in the tournament featuring the likes of Liam Livingstone, Shikhar Dhawan and Odean Smith against one of the best bowling units with the likes of Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson and Rashid Khan. While there is very little to separate the two teams, Gujarat Titans will hold a slight advantage considering their bowling might and the solid run of form from Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.

PBKS vs GT, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans match?

Liam Livingstone came into the IPL auction with a stellar image as a T20 star and it was clear that the England international was on top of a number of teams’ lists. Multiple franchises went for his services but it was Punjab Kings who were able to pick him for a sum of INR 11.5 crores.<o:p></o:p>

The 28-year-old show flashes of promise in the first two games but in the match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, he was at his explosive best. Coming at No 4, he dominated the CSK bowlers and with the help of five fours and five sixes, he slammed a quickfire 60 off just 32 deliveries.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-liam-livingstone-takes-a-stunning-return-catch-to-dimiss-dwayne-bravo-in-pbks-win-over-csk-468160" hreflang="en">WATCH: Livingstone takes a stunning return catch to dismiss Bravo against CSK</a>

Former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra was in awe of Livingstone’s batting and he went on to praise him for putting in an all-round performance which guided his time to victory.<o:p></o:p>

"Punjab Kings had bought Liam Livingstone after paying a huge amount. He has deposited the first EMI because this encounter was entirely in Liam Livingstone's name. He was absolutely stellar - bat, ball, fielding - I mean there was nothing that he couldn't do, only flying was left. He was the lord of all lords," Chopra said on his YouTube channel in the aftermath of the IPL encounter.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-pbks-star-liam-livingstone-goes-big-hits-a-mammoth-108m-six-during-csk-face-off-watch-468175" hreflang="en">PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch</a>

Livingstone shone with the ball as well as he took two wickets in two balls to dismiss the dangerous duo of Shivam Dube and Dwayne Bravo. While Dube was caught in the deep by Arshdeep Singh, Bravo top edged the ball towards the bowler’s direction and Livingstone pulled off a brilliant one-handed catch to send him back to the pavilion.<o:p></o:p>

Liam Livingstone came into the IPL auction with a stellar image as a T20 star and it was clear that the England international was on top of a number of teams’ lists.

Liam Livingstone came into the IPL auction with a stellar image as a T20 star and it was clear that the England international was on top of a number of teams’ lists. Multiple franchises went for his services but it was Punjab Kings who were able to pick him for a sum of INR 11.5 crores. The 28-year-old show flashes of promise in the first two games but in the match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, he was at his explosive best. Coming at No 4, he dominated the CSK bowlers and with the help of five fours and five sixes, he slammed a quickfire 60 off just 32 deliveries. Also read | WATCH: Livingstone takes a stunning return catch to dismiss Bravo against CSK Former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra was in awe of Livingstone’s batting and he went on to praise him for putting in an all-round performance which guided his time to victory. "Punjab Kings had bought Liam Livingstone after paying a huge amount. He has deposited the first EMI because this encounter was entirely in Liam Livingstone's name. He was absolutely stellar - bat, ball, fielding - I mean there was nothing that he couldn't do, only flying was left. He was the lord of all lords," Chopra said on his YouTube channel in the aftermath of the IPL encounter. Also read | PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch Livingstone shone with the ball as well as he took two wickets in two balls to dismiss the dangerous duo of Shivam Dube and Dwayne Bravo. While Dube was caught in the deep by Arshdeep Singh, Bravo top edged the ball towards the bowler’s direction and Livingstone pulled off a brilliant one-handed catch to send him back to the pavilion.

'Lord of all lords': Ex-India cricketer lauds Liam Livingstone after all-round show against CSK

Liam Livingstone was the star performer for Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they locked horns with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match 11 of the IPL 2022 edition in India, on Sunday evening (April 3).&nbsp;

Being asked to bat first, at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, PBKS weren't off to a desirable start as they were reduced to 14-2 before Livingstone's 32-ball 60, studded with five fours and an equal number of sixes, led to Punjab's recovery. Along with vital knocks from Shikhar Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma and some late hits, PBKS posted 180-8 in 20 overs before defending the total by 54 runs.

While Livingstone also made a mark with the ball, returning with 2 for 25, the Englishman's contribution with the bat was the real difference. He hit plenty of maximums but his 108-metre six off Mukesh Choudhary made heads turn (the biggest six of the 15th season so far). Here's the video of his huge strike into the stands:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-liam-livingstone-takes-a-stunning-return-catch-to-dimiss-dwayne-bravo-in-pbks-win-over-csk-468160">WATCH: Liam Livingstone takes a stunning return catch to dismiss Dwayne Bravo in PBKS' win over CSK</a>

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𝗛. 𝗨. 𝗠. 𝗢. 𝗡. 𝗚. 𝗢. 𝗨. 𝗦! 🔥 🔥 
 
1⃣0⃣8⃣ metres: That massive <a href="https://twitter.com/liaml4893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@liaml4893</a> SIX had a lot of air time, surely! 💪 💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvPBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvPBKS</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PunjabKingsIPL</a> 
 
Watch 🎥 🔽
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1510632425809842182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-liam-livingstones-all-round-show-guides-punjab-kings-to-victory-over-chennai-super-kings-468062">IPL 2022: Liam Livingstone's all-round show guides Punjab Kings to victory over Chennai Super Kings</a>

While CSK were never in the run-chase, being reduced to 36 for 5, Livingstone also succeeded in sending Chennai's in-form batter Shivam Dube back to the pavillion. The left-hander was looking dangerous in his 30-ball 57 before the Englishman sent him back and also accounted for Dwayne Bravo's wicket, taking a blinder of his own bowling.

At the post-match presentation, Livingstone said, "The first two games hadn't gone my way. Good to contribute to a win. Thought the boys did brilliantly. We got to a target which we thought was defendable and our seam bowlers were outstanding in the powerplay. Got to try as smart as we can. All our conversations have been 'try and be as exciting as we can'. Nice to get a few today. I've been swinging hard enough, nice to get a couple off the middle today. You don't need to remind me about it (his IPL record previously). Struggled with RR as well last year. Nice to have a performance like this. Bowling is something I really enjoy. Something I've spent a lot of time on. Been nice to contribute. Hopefully, as the tournament goes on, my spin comes into play. I also bat in the nets with Odean Smith, he's got me covered by a long way, trust me. I'm sure he'll get going at some point and you'll see why."

Liam Livingstone was the star performer for Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they locked horns with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match 11 of the IPL 2022 edition in India, on Sunday evening (April 3).

Liam Livingstone was the star performer for Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) as they locked horns with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match 11 of the IPL 2022 edition in India, on Sunday evening (April 3). Being asked to bat first, at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, PBKS weren't off to a desirable start as they were reduced to 14-2 before Livingstone's 32-ball 60, studded with five fours and an equal number of sixes, led to Punjab's recovery. Along with vital knocks from Shikhar Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma and some late hits, PBKS posted 180-8 in 20 overs before defending the total by 54 runs. While Livingstone also made a mark with the ball, returning with 2 for 25, the Englishman's contribution with the bat was the real difference. He hit plenty of maximums but his 108-metre six off Mukesh Choudhary made heads turn (the biggest six of the 15th season so far). Here's the video of his huge strike into the stands: ALSO READ | WATCH: Liam Livingstone takes a stunning return catch to dismiss Dwayne Bravo in PBKS' win over CSK 𝗛. 𝗨. 𝗠. 𝗢. 𝗡. 𝗚. 𝗢. 𝗨. 𝗦! 🔥 🔥 1⃣0⃣8⃣ metres: That massive @liaml4893 SIX had a lot of air time, surely! 💪 💪 #TATAIPL | #CSKvPBKS | @PunjabKingsIPL Watch 🎥 🔽 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2022 × ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Liam Livingstone's all-round show guides Punjab Kings to victory over Chennai Super Kings While CSK were never in the run-chase, being reduced to 36 for 5, Livingstone also succeeded in sending Chennai's in-form batter Shivam Dube back to the pavillion. The left-hander was looking dangerous in his 30-ball 57 before the Englishman sent him back and also accounted for Dwayne Bravo's wicket, taking a blinder of his own bowling. At the post-match presentation, Livingstone said, "The first two games hadn't gone my way. Good to contribute to a win. Thought the boys did brilliantly. We got to a target which we thought was defendable and our seam bowlers were outstanding in the powerplay. Got to try as smart as we can. All our conversations have been 'try and be as exciting as we can'. Nice to get a few today. I've been swinging hard enough, nice to get a couple off the middle today. You don't need to remind me about it (his IPL record previously). Struggled with RR as well last year. Nice to have a performance like this. Bowling is something I really enjoy. Something I've spent a lot of time on. Been nice to contribute. Hopefully, as the tournament goes on, my spin comes into play. I also bat in the nets with Odean Smith, he's got me covered by a long way, trust me. I'm sure he'll get going at some point and you'll see why."

IPL 2022: PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch

Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 11 of the IPL 2022 edition on Sunday evening (April 3) at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. After their worst-ever start to an IPL season, losing their opening two games, CSK had a tough task to get off the mark in the points table in the 15th season.

In both their opening two games, CSK had also lost the toss and paid the price for playing against the conditions. However, luck was on Jadeja's side this time around as he won the coin toss versus Mayank Agarwal. Jadeja's reaction to winning his first-ever toss as CSK skipper also went viral as the 33-year-old couldn't contain his smile. Here's the video:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-pbks-star-liam-livingstone-goes-big-hits-a-mammoth-108m-six-during-csk-face-off-watch-468175">IPL 2022: PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch</a>

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🚨 Toss Update 🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imjadeja</a> has won the toss &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> have elected to bowl against <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PunjabKingsIPL</a>. 
 
Follow the match ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/ZgMGLamhfU">https://t.co/ZgMGLamhfU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvPBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvPBKS</a> <a href="https://t.co/2QzODLJme2">pic.twitter.com/2QzODLJme2</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1510611836898471937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-skipper-ravindra-jadeja-breaks-his-silence-on-ruturaj-gaikwads-rough-patch-in-ipl-2022-468163">CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja breaks his silence on Ruturaj Gaikwad's rough patch in IPL 2022</a>

Despite CSK winning the toss and reducing Punjab to 14-2, they couldn't contain the run-flow as Liam Livingstone's 32-ball 60 and valuable knocks from Shikhar Dhawan and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma propelled Punjab to 180-8 in 20 overs. In reply, CSK were never in the run-chase with wickets falling at regular intervals in the first ten overs. Shivam Dube's 57 (30) was the only shining aspect for the Yellow Army as the defending champions lost their third game in a row by a big margin; i.e. 54 runs after being dismissed for a paltry 126 in 18 overs.

CSK will now enjoy a five-day break before turning up against Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the&nbsp;Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Saturday afternoon (April 9). Needless to say, Jadeja &amp; Co. will be desperate for a win to open their account in their title-defence campaign.

Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 11 of the IPL 2022 edition on Sunday evening (April 3) at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 11 of the IPL 2022 edition on Sunday evening (April 3) at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. After their worst-ever start to an IPL season, losing their opening two games, CSK had a tough task to get off the mark in the points table in the 15th season. In both their opening two games, CSK had also lost the toss and paid the price for playing against the conditions. However, luck was on Jadeja's side this time around as he won the coin toss versus Mayank Agarwal. Jadeja's reaction to winning his first-ever toss as CSK skipper also went viral as the 33-year-old couldn't contain his smile. Here's the video: ALSO READ | IPL 2022: PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch 🚨 Toss Update 🚨@imjadeja has won the toss & @ChennaiIPL have elected to bowl against @PunjabKingsIPL. Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/ZgMGLamhfU #TATAIPL | #CSKvPBKS pic.twitter.com/2QzODLJme2 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2022 × ALSO READ | CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja breaks his silence on Ruturaj Gaikwad's rough patch in IPL 2022 Despite CSK winning the toss and reducing Punjab to 14-2, they couldn't contain the run-flow as Liam Livingstone's 32-ball 60 and valuable knocks from Shikhar Dhawan and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma propelled Punjab to 180-8 in 20 overs. In reply, CSK were never in the run-chase with wickets falling at regular intervals in the first ten overs. Shivam Dube's 57 (30) was the only shining aspect for the Yellow Army as the defending champions lost their third game in a row by a big margin; i.e. 54 runs after being dismissed for a paltry 126 in 18 overs. CSK will now enjoy a five-day break before turning up against Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Saturday afternoon (April 9). Needless to say, Jadeja & Co. will be desperate for a win to open their account in their title-defence campaign.

IPL 2022: Ravindra Jadeja's reaction goes viral as CSK skipper finally wins the toss vs PBKS - WATCH

Twenty20 nomad Liam Livingstone justified his Rs 11.50 crore price-tag with a smashing all-round show while rookie seamer Vaibhav Arora announced his arrival on the big stage during Punjab Kings' comfortable 54-run decimation of Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match here on Sunday.

Livingstone with a 32-ball-60 laid the platform but Chennai Super Kings bowlers made a brilliant comeback at the death, restricting Mayank Agarwal led side to 180 for 8 after 20 overs.

Later, little known Himachal Pradesh seam bowler Arora (4-0-21-2) performed as if he owned the stage, dismissing Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali with CSK managing only 126 in 18 overs at the end of the chase.

After his batting, Livingstone (3-0-25-2) then became man with a "golden wrist" as his leg breaks got him a couple of wickets and he also took the final catch to cap off a dream night.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-sprints-to-run-out-bhanuka-rajapaksa-with-a-stunning-effort-in-csk-vs-pbks-clash-watch-468023">MS Dhoni sprints to run out Rajapaksa with a stunning effort - WATCH</a>

This is CSK's third defeat in as many games and unless Deepak Chahar makes a speedy comeback, things aren't looking great for the 'Yellow Brigade' and its de-facto skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

A couple of more defeats could really put them under huge pressure and within a sniffing distance of point of no return. Arora got good support from his former SD College Chandigarh teammate Arshdeep Singh (2/13 in 2 overs) during the initial period in which his skipper Agarwal bowled him out.

Rahul Chahar (3/25 in 4 overs) was steady during back-10 and his three wickets included the wicket of Dhoni. Arora didn't do anything fancy apart from pitching it fuller with the hint of away seam movement occasionally.

Uthappa tried a flick while Moeen without any distinct footwork dragged a delivery well outside the off onto his stumps. Skipper Ravindra Jadeja also met the same fate due to lack of feet movement.

In a jiffy, CSK were 36 for five before Dhoni (23 off 28 balls) joined Shivam Dube (57 off 30 balls), who did entertain the Brabourne crowd with lusty blows but it was always a game of catch-up for them. Dhoni's oft-documented struggles didn't do any good for CSK either as Dube had too much to do in too little time.

Fittingly, it was Livingstone, who capped off a fine day, removing Dube with an away going delivery and then dived full stretched off his own bowling to remove Dwayne Bravo.

Before his exploits with the ball, Livingstone, one of the most destructive T20 batters across global leagues, finally came good with five fours and an equal number of sixes, sending the CSK bowlers on a leather-hunt during the initial overs.

Deepak Chahar's absence has severely handicapped Dhoni's (the 'real skipper') options as rookie left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary (4-0-52-1) paid dearly for his inexperience coupled with jangling nerves.

There were 100 metre plus sixes off length balls and Livingstone would often shimmy down the track to disturb the length as he did with the wily Bravo.

Even the thick edges went for six with CSK bowlers looking clueless till he was there at the crease.

In fact, Bravo, under pressure, forced Dhoni to stand up to the stumps in order to prevent Livingstone from charging down the track but that hardly deterred him from playing his strokes.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-completes-350-t20s-joins-rohit-sharma-in-elite-list-against-punjab-kings-468014" hreflang="en">Dhoni completes 350 T20s, joins Rohit in elite list against Punjab Kings</a>

What would disappoint Dhoni more is the fact that CSK gave away only 71 runs in the back-10 with a lot of credit going to their troika of overseas pacers -- Dwaine Pretorius (4-0-30-2), Dwayne Bravo (3-0-32-1) and Chris Jordan (4-0-23-2), who used variations to good effect.

In fact, bulk of the 55 dot balls came in the second half of the Punjab innings.

Livingstone and Shikhar Dhawan (33 off 24 balls) added 95 for the third wicket in just 8.4 overs and it seemed that another 200 plus total was on the cards.

By the time Dhawan was fooled by a Bravo slower, Punjab had laid the platform, scoring 109 in the first 10 overs, which sadly the later batters couldn't capitalise on.

But once Livingstone was out, the 'Reds' couldn't maintain the momentum although Vidarbha's Jitesh Sharma (26 off 17 balls) with his audacious strokeplay showed why he is so highly rated.

Twenty20 nomad Liam Livingstone justified his Rs 11.50 crore price-tag with a smashing all-round show while rookie seamer Vaibhav Arora announced his arrival on the big stage during Punjab Kings' comfortable 54-run decimation of Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match here on Sunday.

Twenty20 nomad Liam Livingstone justified his Rs 11.50 crore price-tag with a smashing all-round show while rookie seamer Vaibhav Arora announced his arrival on the big stage during Punjab Kings' comfortable 54-run decimation of Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match here on Sunday. Livingstone with a 32-ball-60 laid the platform but Chennai Super Kings bowlers made a brilliant comeback at the death, restricting Mayank Agarwal led side to 180 for 8 after 20 overs. Later, little known Himachal Pradesh seam bowler Arora (4-0-21-2) performed as if he owned the stage, dismissing Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali with CSK managing only 126 in 18 overs at the end of the chase. After his batting, Livingstone (3-0-25-2) then became man with a "golden wrist" as his leg breaks got him a couple of wickets and he also took the final catch to cap off a dream night. Also read | MS Dhoni sprints to run out Rajapaksa with a stunning effort - WATCH This is CSK's third defeat in as many games and unless Deepak Chahar makes a speedy comeback, things aren't looking great for the 'Yellow Brigade' and its de-facto skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. A couple of more defeats could really put them under huge pressure and within a sniffing distance of point of no return. Arora got good support from his former SD College Chandigarh teammate Arshdeep Singh (2/13 in 2 overs) during the initial period in which his skipper Agarwal bowled him out. Rahul Chahar (3/25 in 4 overs) was steady during back-10 and his three wickets included the wicket of Dhoni. Arora didn't do anything fancy apart from pitching it fuller with the hint of away seam movement occasionally. Uthappa tried a flick while Moeen without any distinct footwork dragged a delivery well outside the off onto his stumps. Skipper Ravindra Jadeja also met the same fate due to lack of feet movement. In a jiffy, CSK were 36 for five before Dhoni (23 off 28 balls) joined Shivam Dube (57 off 30 balls), who did entertain the Brabourne crowd with lusty blows but it was always a game of catch-up for them. Dhoni's oft-documented struggles didn't do any good for CSK either as Dube had too much to do in too little time. Fittingly, it was Livingstone, who capped off a fine day, removing Dube with an away going delivery and then dived full stretched off his own bowling to remove Dwayne Bravo. Before his exploits with the ball, Livingstone, one of the most destructive T20 batters across global leagues, finally came good with five fours and an equal number of sixes, sending the CSK bowlers on a leather-hunt during the initial overs. Deepak Chahar's absence has severely handicapped Dhoni's (the 'real skipper') options as rookie left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary (4-0-52-1) paid dearly for his inexperience coupled with jangling nerves. There were 100 metre plus sixes off length balls and Livingstone would often shimmy down the track to disturb the length as he did with the wily Bravo. Even the thick edges went for six with CSK bowlers looking clueless till he was there at the crease. In fact, Bravo, under pressure, forced Dhoni to stand up to the stumps in order to prevent Livingstone from charging down the track but that hardly deterred him from playing his strokes. Also read | Dhoni completes 350 T20s, joins Rohit in elite list against Punjab Kings What would disappoint Dhoni more is the fact that CSK gave away only 71 runs in the back-10 with a lot of credit going to their troika of overseas pacers -- Dwaine Pretorius (4-0-30-2), Dwayne Bravo (3-0-32-1) and Chris Jordan (4-0-23-2), who used variations to good effect. In fact, bulk of the 55 dot balls came in the second half of the Punjab innings. Livingstone and Shikhar Dhawan (33 off 24 balls) added 95 for the third wicket in just 8.4 overs and it seemed that another 200 plus total was on the cards. By the time Dhawan was fooled by a Bravo slower, Punjab had laid the platform, scoring 109 in the first 10 overs, which sadly the later batters couldn't capitalise on. But once Livingstone was out, the 'Reds' couldn't maintain the momentum although Vidarbha's Jitesh Sharma (26 off 17 balls) with his audacious strokeplay showed why he is so highly rated.

IPL 2022: Liam Livingstone's all-round show guides Punjab Kings to victory over Chennai Super Kings

IPL 2022: Punjab Kings register comfortable win over Chennai Super Kings

MS Dhoni became the second Indian cricketer to play 350 T20 matches when he took the field for Chennai Super Kings against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, who has played 372 matches, is the only other Indian player to achieve this feat. Incidentally, Dhoni and Rohit have won nine IPL titles among them as a skipper.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-not-finished-mohammad-kaif-makes-big-prediction-about-ms-dhonis-ipl-future-467983">'He is not finished': Md Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future</a><o:p></o:p>

Dhoni is also three sixes away from entering the Top 5 list of cricketers with the highest number of maximums for one team in T20 cricket. Chris Gayle tops the list with 263 sixes for Royal Challengers Bangalore followed by Kieron Pollard with 249 sixes and AB De Villiers with 240 maximums.<o:p></o:p>

Dhoni stepped down from the CSK captaincy position ahead of IPL 2022 and he was succeeded by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The wicketkeeper batsman was their skipper from the first season of IPL back in 2008 and he won the tournament twice and the Champions League T20 twice with CSK.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alyssa-healys-stunning-ton-helps-australia-thrash-new-zealand-to-lift-record-7th-womens-world-cup-trophy-467890" hreflang="en">Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy</a>

Dhoni has made a good start to this year’s competition with a hard-fought half century in the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders. He came to bat with his side in trouble and steadied the innings with a watchful knock. In the second match, he was a lot more aggressive as he scored 16 off 6 balls.<o:p></o:p>

However, CSK have failed to win their first two games with the bowler department failing to perform in crunch situations and only Dwayne Bravo has taken more than one wicket for the franchise till now.<o:p></o:p>

MS Dhoni became the second Indian cricketer to play 350 T20 matches when he took the field for Chennai Super Kings against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.

MS Dhoni became the second Indian cricketer to play 350 T20 matches when he took the field for Chennai Super Kings against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday. Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, who has played 372 matches, is the only other Indian player to achieve this feat. Incidentally, Dhoni and Rohit have won nine IPL titles among them as a skipper. Also read | 'He is not finished': Md Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future Dhoni is also three sixes away from entering the Top 5 list of cricketers with the highest number of maximums for one team in T20 cricket. Chris Gayle tops the list with 263 sixes for Royal Challengers Bangalore followed by Kieron Pollard with 249 sixes and AB De Villiers with 240 maximums. Dhoni stepped down from the CSK captaincy position ahead of IPL 2022 and he was succeeded by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The wicketkeeper batsman was their skipper from the first season of IPL back in 2008 and he won the tournament twice and the Champions League T20 twice with CSK. Also read | Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy Dhoni has made a good start to this year’s competition with a hard-fought half century in the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders. He came to bat with his side in trouble and steadied the innings with a watchful knock. In the second match, he was a lot more aggressive as he scored 16 off 6 balls. However, CSK have failed to win their first two games with the bowler department failing to perform in crunch situations and only Dwayne Bravo has taken more than one wicket for the franchise till now.

IPL 2022: MS Dhoni completes 350 T20s, joins Rohit Sharma in elite list against Punjab Kings

Chennai Super Kings will be looking to register their first win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they take on Punjab Kings on Sunday. CSK have not clicked as a bowling unit under new captain Ravindra Jadeja as they were beaten by both Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants.<o:p></o:p>

On the other hand, Punjab Kings started their season with a run chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore but were beaten by KKR after a not so impressive performances with both bat and ball.<o:p></o:p>

Here is all you need to know about the CSK vs PBKS clash in IPL 2022:<o:p></o:p>

Head-to-head<o:p></o:p>

CSK and Punjab Kings have faced each other 25 times in the IPL with CSK winning 15 and Punjab Kings winning 10. At Brabourne Stadium, CSK have one win while Punjab have lost their only game.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vs-pbks-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-punjab-kings-match-467870" hreflang="en">IPL 2022, CSK vs PBKS prediction: Who will win Chennai vs Punjab match?</a><o:p></o:p>

Stats<o:p></o:p>

The Brabourne Stadium has been a haven for batsmen in this year’s competition and the average run rate is 9.98 for all sides. It will be extra good news for Punjab opener Shikhar Dhawan who has seven fifties and one century. On the other hand, Punjab Kings will weary of the tournament’s all-time leading wicket-taker Dwayne Bravo who has 23 wickets from 19 matches against them.<o:p></o:p>

Trivia<o:p></o:p>

The encounter will also witness a mini battle between two young talents – Ruturaj Gaikwad and Arshdeep Singh. The right-handed opener had a stellar season in 2023 but against Arshdeep, he scored just 21 runs off 19 runs and was dismissed two times by the left-arm medium pacer.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-return-of-jonny-bairstow-punjab-kings-predicted-xi-against-chennai-super-kings-467928" hreflang="en">Return of Bairstow? Punjab Kings predicted XI against Chennai Super Kings</a><o:p></o:p>

Squads<o:p></o:p>

Chennai Super Kings squad: Ravindra Jadeja (c), Chris Jordan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (wk), Maheesh Theekshana, Hari Nishanth, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tushar Deshpande, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, N Jagadeesan, Subhranshu Senapati, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary, KM Asif, Simarjeet Singh, Bhagath Varma<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings squad: Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Prabsimran Singh, Ishan Porel, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Prerak Mankad, Vaibhav Arora, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Dhanda, Ansh Patel, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell<o:p></o:p>

Chennai Super Kings will be looking to register their first win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they take on Punjab Kings on Sunday. CSK have not clicked as a bowling unit under new captain Ravindra Jadeja as they were beaten by both Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants.

Chennai Super Kings will be looking to register their first win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they take on Punjab Kings on Sunday. CSK have not clicked as a bowling unit under new captain Ravindra Jadeja as they were beaten by both Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. On the other hand, Punjab Kings started their season with a run chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore but were beaten by KKR after a not so impressive performances with both bat and ball. Here is all you need to know about the CSK vs PBKS clash in IPL 2022: Head-to-head CSK and Punjab Kings have faced each other 25 times in the IPL with CSK winning 15 and Punjab Kings winning 10. At Brabourne Stadium, CSK have one win while Punjab have lost their only game. Also read | IPL 2022, CSK vs PBKS prediction: Who will win Chennai vs Punjab match? Stats The Brabourne Stadium has been a haven for batsmen in this year’s competition and the average run rate is 9.98 for all sides. It will be extra good news for Punjab opener Shikhar Dhawan who has seven fifties and one century. On the other hand, Punjab Kings will weary of the tournament’s all-time leading wicket-taker Dwayne Bravo who has 23 wickets from 19 matches against them. Trivia The encounter will also witness a mini battle between two young talents – Ruturaj Gaikwad and Arshdeep Singh. The right-handed opener had a stellar season in 2023 but against Arshdeep, he scored just 21 runs off 19 runs and was dismissed two times by the left-arm medium pacer. Also read | Return of Bairstow? Punjab Kings predicted XI against Chennai Super Kings Squads Chennai Super Kings squad: Ravindra Jadeja (c), Chris Jordan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (wk), Maheesh Theekshana, Hari Nishanth, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tushar Deshpande, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, N Jagadeesan, Subhranshu Senapati, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary, KM Asif, Simarjeet Singh, Bhagath Varma Punjab Kings squad: Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Prabsimran Singh, Ishan Porel, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Prerak Mankad, Vaibhav Arora, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Dhanda, Ansh Patel, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell

IPL 2022, Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings: Head-to-head record, trivia, stats and squads

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be aiming to bring an end to their losing streak and bag their first win of the season when they lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The match will be played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.&nbsp; Defending champions CSK have endured their worst start to a season having lost their first two matches in a row.

The Ravindra Jadeja-led side lost their first game against Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets before slipping to another six-wicket loss against Lucknow Super Giants in their last game. The absence of pacer Deepak Chahar has hurt CSK this season as their bowlers have been taken to the cleaners in the first two games.

While Chahar continues his recovery and is expected to join the team later this month, CSK also missed the services of both Adam Milne and Chris Jordan for their last game against Lucknow. Milne suffered a side strain during CSK's opener against KKR while Jordan was hospitalised due to tonsils.

Milne is unlikely to make the cut against Punjab Kings but Jordan might feature in the playing XI after the likes of Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Chaudhary were taken to the cleaners in the last game against Lucknow. CSK will retain the overseas trio of Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Pretorious and Moeen Ali from the Lucknow game and might play an extra pacer in Jordan.

The Jadeja-led side has also struggled to get off to good starts in the tournament so far as opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is yet to fire with the bat. While Robin Uthappa has looked in good touch both as an opener and at no.3, Gaikwad is yet to get going for CSK and will be hopeful of finding his mojo back against Punjab Kings on Sunday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vs-pbks-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-punjab-kings-match-467870">CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings match?</a>

Captain Jadeja will have his task cut out against Punjab Kings, who have one win and one loss in their first two games this season. CSK might also look at handing a debut to young Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who can bowl at a good pace and can also be a pinch hitter down the order.

CSK's predicted playing XI for the Punjab Kings clash:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Dwayne Bravo, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Chris Jordan

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be aiming to bring an end to their losing streak and bag their first win of the season when they lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be aiming to bring an end to their losing streak and bag their first win of the season when they lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The match will be played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Defending champions CSK have endured their worst start to a season having lost their first two matches in a row. The Ravindra Jadeja-led side lost their first game against Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets before slipping to another six-wicket loss against Lucknow Super Giants in their last game. The absence of pacer Deepak Chahar has hurt CSK this season as their bowlers have been taken to the cleaners in the first two games. While Chahar continues his recovery and is expected to join the team later this month, CSK also missed the services of both Adam Milne and Chris Jordan for their last game against Lucknow. Milne suffered a side strain during CSK's opener against KKR while Jordan was hospitalised due to tonsils. Milne is unlikely to make the cut against Punjab Kings but Jordan might feature in the playing XI after the likes of Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Chaudhary were taken to the cleaners in the last game against Lucknow. CSK will retain the overseas trio of Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Pretorious and Moeen Ali from the Lucknow game and might play an extra pacer in Jordan. The Jadeja-led side has also struggled to get off to good starts in the tournament so far as opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is yet to fire with the bat. While Robin Uthappa has looked in good touch both as an opener and at no.3, Gaikwad is yet to get going for CSK and will be hopeful of finding his mojo back against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Also Read: CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings match? Captain Jadeja will have his task cut out against Punjab Kings, who have one win and one loss in their first two games this season. CSK might also look at handing a debut to young Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who can bowl at a good pace and can also be a pinch hitter down the order. CSK's predicted playing XI for the Punjab Kings clash: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Dwayne Bravo, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Chris Jordan

IPL 2022: Chris Jordan, Rajvardhan Hangargekar to feature? CSK's predicted playing XI for Punjab Kings clash

Punjab Kings have been quite inconsistent in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 till now. The Mayank Agarwal-led side pulled off a brilliant run chase to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first match but the same batting line up crumbled under pressure against Kolkata Knight Riders.<o:p></o:p>

The bowling attack has also struggled to reap high rewards for Punjab as they conceded 200 against RCB and were taken apart by Andre Russell who scored 71 off 30 balls to guide KKR to victory.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vs-pbks-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-punjab-kings-match-467870" hreflang="en">IPL 2022, CSK vs PBKS prediction: Who will win Chennai vs Punjab match?</a><o:p></o:p>

As a result, a number of changes are expected when Punjab Kings take on Chennai Super Kings on Sunday with Ravindra Jadeja &amp; Co also looking for their first win in this year’s competition.<o:p></o:p>

Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal are expected to open the innings with in-form Sri Lanka wicketkeeper batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa providing support at the top of the batting order.<o:p></o:p>

England international Jonny Bairstow is expected to make his way into the side and he will most likely replace Liam Livingstone who has not performed well for them. Shahrukh Khan will continue to keep his spot with all-rounder Rishi Dhawan expected to take the place of youngster Raw Bawa.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alyssa-healys-stunning-ton-helps-australia-thrash-new-zealand-to-lift-record-7th-womens-world-cup-trophy-467890" hreflang="en">Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy</a><o:p></o:p>

In the bowling department, Kagiso Rabada will be leading the pace attack with Arshdeep Singh while Rahul Chahar will be the specialist spinner and Harpreet Brar will be helping him with his off-spin.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jonny Bairstow, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings have been quite inconsistent in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 till now. The Mayank Agarwal-led side pulled off a brilliant run chase to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first match but the same batting line up crumbled under pressure against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Punjab Kings have been quite inconsistent in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 till now. The Mayank Agarwal-led side pulled off a brilliant run chase to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first match but the same batting line up crumbled under pressure against Kolkata Knight Riders. The bowling attack has also struggled to reap high rewards for Punjab as they conceded 200 against RCB and were taken apart by Andre Russell who scored 71 off 30 balls to guide KKR to victory. Also read | IPL 2022, CSK vs PBKS prediction: Who will win Chennai vs Punjab match? As a result, a number of changes are expected when Punjab Kings take on Chennai Super Kings on Sunday with Ravindra Jadeja & Co also looking for their first win in this year’s competition. Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal are expected to open the innings with in-form Sri Lanka wicketkeeper batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa providing support at the top of the batting order. England international Jonny Bairstow is expected to make his way into the side and he will most likely replace Liam Livingstone who has not performed well for them. Shahrukh Khan will continue to keep his spot with all-rounder Rishi Dhawan expected to take the place of youngster Raw Bawa. Also read | Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy In the bowling department, Kagiso Rabada will be leading the pace attack with Arshdeep Singh while Rahul Chahar will be the specialist spinner and Harpreet Brar will be helping him with his off-spin. Punjab Kings predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jonny Bairstow, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

IPL 2022: Return of Jonny Bairstow? Punjab Kings predicted XI against Chennai Super Kings

It has been a season of redemption for Umesh Yadav till now in the Indian Premier League. The India fast bowler was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the end stages of the mega auction and after playing just two games in last year’s tournament, he was not touted as a major threat.<o:p></o:p>

However, the 34-year-old has performed brilliantly for KKR this season and with eight wickets to his name, he currently wears the purple cap as the leading wicket-taker in the competition. Umesh was the pick of the bowlers once again on Friday as he claimed four scalps against Punjab Kings.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-return-of-lungi-ngidi-delhi-capitals-predicted-xi-against-gujarat-titans-467650" hreflang="en">Return of Lungi Ngidi? Delhi Capitals predicted XI against Gujarat Titans</a>

The four-wicket haul meant that Umesh Yadav has taken 33 wickets against Punjab Kings in his IPL career – the most by any bowler against a single opponent. On Friday, he went past teammate Sunil Narine (32 against PBKS), Lasith Malinga (31 against Chennai Super Kings) and the tournament’s current leading all-time wicket taker Dwayne Bravo who has 31 wickets against Mumbai Indians.<o:p></o:p>

That was not the only record that Umesh claimed on Friday as he currently has the most number of ‘Player of the Match’ awards a single opposition. The fast bowler won his sixth POTM against Punjab Kings and went past ex-KKR all-rounder Yusuf Pathan who had 5 against Deccan Chargers.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-gujarat-titans-vs-delhi-capitals-head-to-head-record-trivia-stats-and-squads-467658" hreflang="en">IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals: Head-to-head, trivia and stats</a>

Umesh and fellow pace bowler Tim Southee were brilliant against Punjab Kings as they claimed a combined seven wickets to bundle out the opposition for 137. In reply, it was an Andre Russell show as the West Indies all-rounder slammed 70 off 31 deliveries to guide the team to victory.<o:p></o:p>

It has been a season of redemption for Umesh Yadav till now in the Indian Premier League. The India fast bowler was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the end stages of the mega auction and after playing just two games in last year’s tournament, he was not touted as a major threat.

It has been a season of redemption for Umesh Yadav till now in the Indian Premier League. The India fast bowler was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the end stages of the mega auction and after playing just two games in last year’s tournament, he was not touted as a major threat. However, the 34-year-old has performed brilliantly for KKR this season and with eight wickets to his name, he currently wears the purple cap as the leading wicket-taker in the competition. Umesh was the pick of the bowlers once again on Friday as he claimed four scalps against Punjab Kings. Also read | Return of Lungi Ngidi? Delhi Capitals predicted XI against Gujarat Titans The four-wicket haul meant that Umesh Yadav has taken 33 wickets against Punjab Kings in his IPL career – the most by any bowler against a single opponent. On Friday, he went past teammate Sunil Narine (32 against PBKS), Lasith Malinga (31 against Chennai Super Kings) and the tournament’s current leading all-time wicket taker Dwayne Bravo who has 31 wickets against Mumbai Indians. That was not the only record that Umesh claimed on Friday as he currently has the most number of ‘Player of the Match’ awards a single opposition. The fast bowler won his sixth POTM against Punjab Kings and went past ex-KKR all-rounder Yusuf Pathan who had 5 against Deccan Chargers. Also read | IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals: Head-to-head, trivia and stats Umesh and fellow pace bowler Tim Southee were brilliant against Punjab Kings as they claimed a combined seven wickets to bundle out the opposition for 137. In reply, it was an Andre Russell show as the West Indies all-rounder slammed 70 off 31 deliveries to guide the team to victory.

IPL 2022: Umesh Yadav breaks two impressive records with four-wicket haul against Punjab Kings

Umesh Yadav continued his dream run with a four-wicket haul before Andre Russell returned to his brutal best to fire Kolkata Knight Riders to an easy six-wicket win over Punjab Kings here on Friday.

Umesh (4/23), coming into the season with just two games over two IPL seasons and going unsold initially at the auction, produced career-best T20 figures to help KKR dismiss Punjab for a below par 137 in 18.2 overs.

It was supposed to be a straight forward chase but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab's hopes with a double wicket maiden to reduced KKR to 51 for four.

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However, Russell (70 not out off 31 balls) came out in the middle and changed the game with his barrage of sixes, eight in total, to make it a cakewalk in just 14.3 overs.

He smashed three sixes off Odean Smith in an over that went for 30 runs. No rope is long enough when Russell is going all guns blazing and he was in that kind of zone on Friday night.

The Jamaican dasher fittingly ended the game with a couple of sixes off Liam Livingtsone's friendly leg-breaks. It was KKR's second win in three games while Punjab suffered their first loss of the season after the win over RCB.

Earlier, KKR bowlers stifled a power-laden Punjab Kings batting line-up. With heavy dew setting in later half of the games, fielding first has become a no-brainer this IPL and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer called it right at the toss.

Punjab, which had successfully chased 200 plus in their opening game, enjoyed a good powerplay that yielded 62 for 3 in six overs. Veteran pacer Umesh, who has been proving his critics wrong this season., once again provided the breakthrough early in the game, removing opposition skipper Mayank Agarwal, who was found plumb in front after missing a rather straight and full delivery in the first over of the match.

Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 9) who had produced a match-winning knock in the first game, looked in sensational touch at the Wankhede Stadium.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-chennai-super-kings-pacer-deepak-chahar-provides-update-on-indian-premier-league-return-467512" hreflang="en">CSK fast bowler Deepak Chahar provides update on IPL 2022 return</a>

In his brief stay in the middle, the top-order batter hammered three fours and as many sixes, mostly towards the mid-wicket region, leaving the spectators in awe. His breathtaking effort was perhaps the lone bright in an otherwise underwhelming innings. Iyer impressed with his leadership.

He brought back Umesh in the middle overs to ensure there was no fightback from Punjab. He also employed a slip in the 15th over and was rewarded for that with the wicket of Rahul Chahar.

His new ball partner Tim Southee and KKR's retained spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine were also too good for the Punjab batters. Livingstone (19 off 16) could convert his start while India U-19 star Raj Angad Bawa found the going tough for the second game in a row. Kagisa Rabada (25 off 16), playing his first game of the seasons, saved Punjab the blushes by getting much needed boundaries to take the total close to 140.

Umesh Yadav continued his dream run with a four-wicket haul before Andre Russell returned to his brutal best to fire Kolkata Knight Riders to an easy six-wicket win over Punjab Kings here on Friday.

Umesh Yadav continued his dream run with a four-wicket haul before Andre Russell returned to his brutal best to fire Kolkata Knight Riders to an easy six-wicket win over Punjab Kings here on Friday. Umesh (4/23), coming into the season with just two games over two IPL seasons and going unsold initially at the auction, produced career-best T20 figures to help KKR dismiss Punjab for a below par 137 in 18.2 overs. It was supposed to be a straight forward chase but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab's hopes with a double wicket maiden to reduced KKR to 51 for four. Also read | IPL 2022: Tim Southee pulls off sensational catch against Punjab Kings - WATCH However, Russell (70 not out off 31 balls) came out in the middle and changed the game with his barrage of sixes, eight in total, to make it a cakewalk in just 14.3 overs. He smashed three sixes off Odean Smith in an over that went for 30 runs. No rope is long enough when Russell is going all guns blazing and he was in that kind of zone on Friday night. The Jamaican dasher fittingly ended the game with a couple of sixes off Liam Livingtsone's friendly leg-breaks. It was KKR's second win in three games while Punjab suffered their first loss of the season after the win over RCB. Earlier, KKR bowlers stifled a power-laden Punjab Kings batting line-up. With heavy dew setting in later half of the games, fielding first has become a no-brainer this IPL and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer called it right at the toss. Punjab, which had successfully chased 200 plus in their opening game, enjoyed a good powerplay that yielded 62 for 3 in six overs. Veteran pacer Umesh, who has been proving his critics wrong this season., once again provided the breakthrough early in the game, removing opposition skipper Mayank Agarwal, who was found plumb in front after missing a rather straight and full delivery in the first over of the match. Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 9) who had produced a match-winning knock in the first game, looked in sensational touch at the Wankhede Stadium. Also read | CSK fast bowler Deepak Chahar provides update on IPL 2022 return In his brief stay in the middle, the top-order batter hammered three fours and as many sixes, mostly towards the mid-wicket region, leaving the spectators in awe. His breathtaking effort was perhaps the lone bright in an otherwise underwhelming innings. Iyer impressed with his leadership. He brought back Umesh in the middle overs to ensure there was no fightback from Punjab. He also employed a slip in the 15th over and was rewarded for that with the wicket of Rahul Chahar. His new ball partner Tim Southee and KKR's retained spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine were also too good for the Punjab batters. Livingstone (19 off 16) could convert his start while India U-19 star Raj Angad Bawa found the going tough for the second game in a row. Kagisa Rabada (25 off 16), playing his first game of the seasons, saved Punjab the blushes by getting much needed boundaries to take the total close to 140.

IPL 2022: Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell guide Kolkata Knight Riders to victory over Punjab Kings

IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Punjab Kings in comprehensive manner

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday (April 1), at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

After a fine start to their 15th season, with a five-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 27, the one-time runners-up Punjab will aim to make it two wins in a row.&nbsp;

In the previous encounter, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith and Liam Livingstone combined to take Punjab home in a tall run-chase of 206. Against KKR, they will hope for a similar&nbsp;performance by the batters.&nbsp;

For Shikhar, he is 8 fours away from becoming the first-ever Indian (fourth overall) to a massive T20 feat. At present, Dhawan has 992 fours and is eight away from entering the 1,000-four club.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-becomes-first-wicketkeeper-to-reach-impressive-t20-milestone-467442">IPL 2022: MS Dhoni becomes first wicketkeeper to reach impressive T20 milestone</a>

List of players to have hit 1000 or more fours:

Chris Gayle - 1132 
Alex Hales - 1054 
David Warner - 1005

Indians to have hit the most fours in T20 history:

Shikhar Dhawan - 992 
Virat Kohli - 917 
Rohit Sharma - 875 
Suresh Raina - 779 
Gautam Gambhir - 747

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-gautam-gambhirs-interaction-goes-viral-after-lsg-beat-csk-in-a-run-fest-watch-467420">IPL 2022: MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir's interaction goes viral after LSG beat CSK in a run-fest - WATCH</a>

Dhawan debuted for the PBKS franchise in IPL 2022 during their season-opener, versus RCB, and returned with an impressive 29-ball 43, studded with 5 fours and a six. He will be eager to make a big score in the PBKS-KKR encounter on Friday evening.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday (April 1), at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday (April 1), at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. After a fine start to their 15th season, with a five-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 27, the one-time runners-up Punjab will aim to make it two wins in a row. In the previous encounter, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith and Liam Livingstone combined to take Punjab home in a tall run-chase of 206. Against KKR, they will hope for a similar performance by the batters. For Shikhar, he is 8 fours away from becoming the first-ever Indian (fourth overall) to a massive T20 feat. At present, Dhawan has 992 fours and is eight away from entering the 1,000-four club. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: MS Dhoni becomes first wicketkeeper to reach impressive T20 milestone List of players to have hit 1000 or more fours: Chris Gayle - 1132 Alex Hales - 1054 David Warner - 1005 Indians to have hit the most fours in T20 history: Shikhar Dhawan - 992 Virat Kohli - 917 Rohit Sharma - 875 Suresh Raina - 779 Gautam Gambhir - 747 ALSO READ | IPL 2022: MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir's interaction goes viral after LSG beat CSK in a run-fest - WATCH Dhawan debuted for the PBKS franchise in IPL 2022 during their season-opener, versus RCB, and returned with an impressive 29-ball 43, studded with 5 fours and a six. He will be eager to make a big score in the PBKS-KKR encounter on Friday evening.

IPL 2022: PBKS opener Shikhar Dhawan 8 fours away from becoming first Indian to attain massive T20 feat

It will be a tough test for Kolkata Knight Riders as they look to get back to winning ways against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Friday.

After a dominant win against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the season opener, the Shreyas Iyer-led side slumped to a loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore after posting the lowest total in IPL 2022 till now.<o:p></o:p>

With Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch still unavailable due to their commitments with the Australia cricket team, there are not many changes expected in the playing XI for Kolkata Knight Riders.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-punjab-kings-head-to-head-record-trivia-stats-and-squads-467393" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings - Head-to-head record, trivia, stats and squads</a>

Ajinkya Rahane is expected to open the batting with Venkatesh Iyer with Nitish Rana at No. 3. <o:p></o:p>

Shreyas Iyer can go down one position in the batting line-up to provide more stability to the middle order after the collapse against RCB. Sam Billings will continue to be the explosive choice in the middle order with Sheldon Jackson playing as the wicketkeeper after pulling off brilliant dismissals.<o:p></o:p>

Andre Russell was the top scorer for KKR but he injured himself while diving on the field and he was not able to bowl his full quota of overs. The West Indies all-rounder is expected to feature in the playing XI but in his absence, KKR can opt for the experience of Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kkr-vs-pbks-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-punjab-kings-match-467369" hreflang="en">KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings match?</a>

In the bowling department, Umesh Yadav has been a revelation in the first two matches and he will be partnering Tim Southee while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarty will play as the spin duo.<o:p></o:p>

Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI: Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy<o:p></o:p>

It will be a tough test for Kolkata Knight Riders as they look to get back to winning ways against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Friday.

It will be a tough test for Kolkata Knight Riders as they look to get back to winning ways against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Friday. After a dominant win against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the season opener, the Shreyas Iyer-led side slumped to a loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore after posting the lowest total in IPL 2022 till now. With Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch still unavailable due to their commitments with the Australia cricket team, there are not many changes expected in the playing XI for Kolkata Knight Riders. Also read | IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings - Head-to-head record, trivia, stats and squads Ajinkya Rahane is expected to open the batting with Venkatesh Iyer with Nitish Rana at No. 3. Shreyas Iyer can go down one position in the batting line-up to provide more stability to the middle order after the collapse against RCB. Sam Billings will continue to be the explosive choice in the middle order with Sheldon Jackson playing as the wicketkeeper after pulling off brilliant dismissals. Andre Russell was the top scorer for KKR but he injured himself while diving on the field and he was not able to bowl his full quota of overs. The West Indies all-rounder is expected to feature in the playing XI but in his absence, KKR can opt for the experience of Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi. Also read | KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings match? In the bowling department, Umesh Yadav has been a revelation in the first two matches and he will be partnering Tim Southee while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarty will play as the spin duo. Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI: Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

IPL 2022: Will Andre Russell play? Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI against Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings will be looking to continue their winning run while Kolkata Knight Riders will eye redemption as the two teams face each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Friday.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings started their campaign with an impressive victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore as they chased down a total of 205 thanks to good batting performances from the top order. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksha provided the perfect platform for the run chase as big-hitters Shah Rukh Khan and Odean Smith guided them to victory with some fireworks towards the end.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kkr-vs-pbks-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-punjab-kings-match-467369" hreflang="en">KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings match?</a>

KKR, on the other hand, slumped to a defeat against RCB in their second game after beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the season opener. The bowlers performed well for KKR but a complete batting collapse saw the side posting the lowest total in IPL 2022 till now.<o:p></o:p>

Bowling was also a concern for Punjab as none of their bowlers looked in good form and they ended up conceding 12 wides along with other extras. However, the return of Kagiso Rabada will be a major boost to the side and he can be the answer to their bowling woes on Friday.<o:p></o:p>

Here is all you need to know about the IPL 2022 clash between KKR and Punjab Kings:<o:p></o:p>

Head-to-Head<o:p></o:p>

Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings have faced each other in 29 IPL matches till now with KKR winning 19 while Punjab Kings have won 10. The second significant clash between the two teams came in the final of the 2014 season where KKR were able to clinch their second IPL title.<o:p></o:p>

Stats<o:p></o:p>

The Wankhede Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for KKR who have won just two times in 12 matches at the venue. Coming to player battles, Punjab pacer Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Shreyas Iyer thrice in IPL but have never dismissed the KKR duo of Sunil Narine and Nitish Rana.<o:p></o:p>

Trivia<o:p></o:p>

Andre Russell has scored 60 runs against South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada from just 27 deliveries with Rabada dismissing him just once in IPL. This is not good news for Punjab Kings who will be banking on Rabada’s excellent record as a death bowler – 45 wickets in 63.4 overs. Although Punjab Kings won their first game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, they ended up conceding 135 runs in the last ten overs with the bowlers managing to claim just one wicket in the final five overs.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-ipl-2022-points-table-after-chennai-super-kings-vs-lucknow-super-giants-encounter-467338" hreflang="en">Updated IPL 2022 points table after Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants encounter</a>

Squads<o:p></o:p>

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson(w), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammad Nabi, Chamika Karunaratne, Baba Indrajith, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Pratham Singh, Abhijeet Tomar, Rasikh Salam, Aman Hakim Khan, Ashok Sharma, Ramesh Kumar<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa(w), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Raj Bawa, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar, Prabhsimran Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Benny Howell, Ishan Porel, Vaibhav Arora, Ansh Patel, Atharva Taide, Prerak Mankad, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Singh<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings will be looking to continue their winning run while Kolkata Knight Riders will eye redemption as the two teams face each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Friday.

Punjab Kings will be looking to continue their winning run while Kolkata Knight Riders will eye redemption as the two teams face each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Friday. Punjab Kings started their campaign with an impressive victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore as they chased down a total of 205 thanks to good batting performances from the top order. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksha provided the perfect platform for the run chase as big-hitters Shah Rukh Khan and Odean Smith guided them to victory with some fireworks towards the end. Also read | KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings match? KKR, on the other hand, slumped to a defeat against RCB in their second game after beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the season opener. The bowlers performed well for KKR but a complete batting collapse saw the side posting the lowest total in IPL 2022 till now. Bowling was also a concern for Punjab as none of their bowlers looked in good form and they ended up conceding 12 wides along with other extras. However, the return of Kagiso Rabada will be a major boost to the side and he can be the answer to their bowling woes on Friday. Here is all you need to know about the IPL 2022 clash between KKR and Punjab Kings: Head-to-Head Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings have faced each other in 29 IPL matches till now with KKR winning 19 while Punjab Kings have won 10. The second significant clash between the two teams came in the final of the 2014 season where KKR were able to clinch their second IPL title. Stats The Wankhede Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for KKR who have won just two times in 12 matches at the venue. Coming to player battles, Punjab pacer Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Shreyas Iyer thrice in IPL but have never dismissed the KKR duo of Sunil Narine and Nitish Rana. Trivia Andre Russell has scored 60 runs against South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada from just 27 deliveries with Rabada dismissing him just once in IPL. This is not good news for Punjab Kings who will be banking on Rabada’s excellent record as a death bowler – 45 wickets in 63.4 overs. Although Punjab Kings won their first game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, they ended up conceding 135 runs in the last ten overs with the bowlers managing to claim just one wicket in the final five overs. Also read | Updated IPL 2022 points table after Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants encounter Squads Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson(w), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammad Nabi, Chamika Karunaratne, Baba Indrajith, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Pratham Singh, Abhijeet Tomar, Rasikh Salam, Aman Hakim Khan, Ashok Sharma, Ramesh Kumar Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa(w), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Raj Bawa, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar, Prabhsimran Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Benny Howell, Ishan Porel, Vaibhav Arora, Ansh Patel, Atharva Taide, Prerak Mankad, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Singh

IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings - Head-to-head record, trivia, stats and squads

The T20 action will continue on Friday (April 1) as match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lock horns with the 2014 runners-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Both sides had contrasting results in their respective last encounters. After a terrific win versus the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the season-opener, KKR conceded a close game to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and, hence, will be eager to return to winning ways. They were asked to bat first versus Faf du Plessis-led Bengaluru, however, their batters fell flat as KKR were bundled out for 128 in 18.5 overs. In reply, KKR stretched the game to the last over before RCB won by three wickets.&nbsp;

On the other hand, Punjab have played only one encounter so far. They also met RCB in their previous game and went past the three-time runners-up by five wickets in a tall run-chase of 206 at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-is-wrong-no-doubt-about-that-former-cricketers-slam-ms-dhoni-over-csk-captaincy-situation-after-lsg-loss-467353">It is wrong, no doubt about that: Former cricketers slam MS Dhoni over CSK captaincy situation after LSG loss</a>

Match prediction for KKR vs PBKS clash:&nbsp;The toss will play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the face-off. Both captains will once again be eager to bowl first and will back their respective troops to chase down any total on a good batting track at the Wankhede. In terms of batting, there is enough firepower in both&nbsp;teams. In bowling, KKR might have an edge given their two big guns, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. For Punjab, the onus will fall on Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh.

Expect another run-fest. Expect another win for the chasing side. At this point, KKR might have an edge over PBKS (given their variety in bowling and Punjab's knack for being inconsistent).

The T20 action will continue on Friday (April 1) as match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lock horns with the 2014 runners-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The T20 action will continue on Friday (April 1) as match 8 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lock horns with the 2014 runners-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Both sides had contrasting results in their respective last encounters. After a terrific win versus the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the season-opener, KKR conceded a close game to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and, hence, will be eager to return to winning ways. They were asked to bat first versus Faf du Plessis-led Bengaluru, however, their batters fell flat as KKR were bundled out for 128 in 18.5 overs. In reply, KKR stretched the game to the last over before RCB won by three wickets. On the other hand, Punjab have played only one encounter so far. They also met RCB in their previous game and went past the three-time runners-up by five wickets in a tall run-chase of 206 at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. ALSO READ | It is wrong, no doubt about that: Former cricketers slam MS Dhoni over CSK captaincy situation after LSG loss Match prediction for KKR vs PBKS clash: The toss will play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the face-off. Both captains will once again be eager to bowl first and will back their respective troops to chase down any total on a good batting track at the Wankhede. In terms of batting, there is enough firepower in both teams. In bowling, KKR might have an edge given their two big guns, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. For Punjab, the onus will fall on Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh. Expect another run-fest. Expect another win for the chasing side. At this point, KKR might have an edge over PBKS (given their variety in bowling and Punjab's knack for being inconsistent).

KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings match?

Chris Gayle, one of the biggest T20 names, sprung&nbsp;a huge surprise when he didn't register for the IPL 2022 mega auction, which was held in mid-February. Having been someone who has missed some international fixtures in order to take part in T20 leagues worldwide, Universe Boss' absence from IPL 2022 led to speculations that the swashbuckling opener's IPL career has come to an end.

Nonetheless, the 42-year-old cricketer isn't going anywhere. Recently, Gayle shared an Instagram story where he can be seen sweating it out at the gym and revealed that he is preparing for IPL 2023. Here's Gayle's story:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-chris-gayle-virat-kohli-to-ab-de-villiers-superstar-batters-with-most-ipl-hundreds-463535">From Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli to AB de Villiers - Superstar batters with most IPL hundreds</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Chris Gayle Instagram Story 😍😍 
Can't wait to see <a href="https://twitter.com/henrygayle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@henrygayle</a> Universe Boss💪 in the next season of IPL (IPL 2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvsKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvsKKR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvRCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/PlKhtURnhv">pic.twitter.com/PlKhtURnhv</a>
— Cricket Countdown (@Cric8Countdown) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cric8Countdown/status/1509029862404935685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-ipl-2022-points-table-after-kolkata-knigt-riders-vs-royal-challengers-bangalore-game-467009">Updated IPL 2022 points table after Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore game</a>

For the unversed, Gayle is an IPL legend. He&nbsp;has represented the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in his glittering&nbsp;IPL career, amassing 4,965 runs at 39.72 and a strike rate of&nbsp;148.96. Gayle is the seventh-highest run-getter overall; third-most runs among foreign players in the IPL. In addition, he has as many as six IPL tons (most by any batter).

Gayle was part of the PBKS squad since 2018, however, he wasn't a regular in the playing XI in the last two seasons before he withdrew from the second and final leg of IPL 2021, citing bio-bubble fatigue. It will be interesting to see which team acquires his services if he returns for IPL 2023.

Chris Gayle, one of the biggest T20 names, sprung a huge surprise when he didn't register for the IPL 2022 mega auction, which was held in mid-February. Having been someone who has missed some international fixtures in order to take part in T20 leagues worldwide, Universe Boss' absence from IPL 2022 led to speculations that the swashbuckling opener's IPL career has come to an end.

Chris Gayle, one of the biggest T20 names, sprung a huge surprise when he didn't register for the IPL 2022 mega auction, which was held in mid-February. Having been someone who has missed some international fixtures in order to take part in T20 leagues worldwide, Universe Boss' absence from IPL 2022 led to speculations that the swashbuckling opener's IPL career has come to an end. Nonetheless, the 42-year-old cricketer isn't going anywhere. Recently, Gayle shared an Instagram story where he can be seen sweating it out at the gym and revealed that he is preparing for IPL 2023. Here's Gayle's story: ALSO READ | From Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli to AB de Villiers - Superstar batters with most IPL hundreds Chris Gayle Instagram Story 😍😍 Can't wait to see @henrygayle Universe Boss💪 in the next season of IPL (IPL 2023) #IPL2022 #RCBvsKKR #KKRvRCB pic.twitter.com/PlKhtURnhv — Cricket Countdown (@Cric8Countdown) March 30, 2022 × ALSO READ | Updated IPL 2022 points table after Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore game For the unversed, Gayle is an IPL legend. He has represented the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in his glittering IPL career, amassing 4,965 runs at 39.72 and a strike rate of 148.96. Gayle is the seventh-highest run-getter overall; third-most runs among foreign players in the IPL. In addition, he has as many as six IPL tons (most by any batter). Gayle was part of the PBKS squad since 2018, however, he wasn't a regular in the playing XI in the last two seasons before he withdrew from the second and final leg of IPL 2021, citing bio-bubble fatigue. It will be interesting to see which team acquires his services if he returns for IPL 2023.

Universe Boss' show not over yet! Chris Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023 - see pic

Sandeep Sharma is no stranger to the Indian Premier League (IPL). The medium pacer from Punjab made his debut in 2013 and during his stints with Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, he picked up 112 wickets in the competition. It was sort of a homecoming for Sandeep as he was picked by Punjab Kings ahead of 2022 season and currently, he is one of the senior campaigners in the side.<o:p></o:p>

The Mayank Agarwal-led side started the tournament on a positive note as they chased down a target of 206 runs to clinch the win against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Speaking exclusively to WION, Sandeep opened up about the game and the feeling in the dressing room after the win.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/universe-boss-show-not-over-yet-chris-gayle-kicks-off-preparations-for-ipl-2023-see-pic-467065" hreflang="en">Universe Boss' show not over yet! Chris Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023 - see pic</a>

&nbsp;“It is always a good feeling to win the first game of the tournament and we want to carry forward that momentum. Chasing 200 runs is very difficult but our batting was able to pull it off. It was a very positive result and the entire dressing room is extremely happy with what we were able to achieve.”<o:p></o:p>

The one thing that caught the attention of most experts during the match was the number of extras conceded by both sides. A total of 45 extras was conceded during the face-off – an IPL record – including 33 wides (12 from Punjab bowlers).&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

In this regard, Sandeep explained dew as a factor but believes that wides were mainly conceded due to the bowlers’ reluctance to bowl in the batter's hitting arc.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harshal-patel-equals-ipl-record-with-back-to-back-maiden-overs-against-kolkata-knight-riders-466982" hreflang="en">Harshal Patel equals IPL record with back-to-back maiden overs against Kolkata Knight Riders</a>

“The conditions were okay and it was mainly a batting wicket. I feel the bowlers did not want to come into the batsman’s arc and as they wanted to stay away from that line, they ended up bowling wide. Dew was also there and in coming games, it will become a factor,” the 28-year-old said.<o:p></o:p>

This year’s IPL will be played in just four venues around Maharashtra and the constant fixtures can result in pitches slowing down gradually towards the end of the tournament. However, Sandeep said that he is hoping for that to happen and only the Pune pitch can see big changes in the future.<o:p></o:p>

“I am not hoping for that as all the venues have 4-5 pitches and they will have 3-4 games each. Pitches in Maharashtra are very good and I think they will be able to sustain 4 games. As I said, dew will also play a part and once dew sets in, the ball will not move even if the wicket is slow. Maybe the pitches will slow down a little but the impact will not be that much.”

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-is-cristiano-ronaldo-of-cricket-punjab-kings-star-lavishes-praise-on-former-rcb-skipper-466978" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli is Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket: Punjab Kings star lavishes praise on former RCB skipper</a>

“Maybe the Pune wicket can be different as dew is not a factor that much and the pitches are black soil pitches. So that is the only place where we can see a bit of change in conditions,” he added.<o:p></o:p>

Over the years, Sandeep has bowled to a number of world-class batsmen in the tournament and when asked about his toughest challenges, he was quick to name three seasoned veterans.<o:p></o:p>

“With the new ball, Suresh Raina was the most challenging batsman for me. With the old ball, I will have to say MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers as they are both amazing finishers,” Sandeep concluded.<o:p></o:p>

Sandeep Sharma is no stranger to the Indian Premier League (IPL). The medium pacer from Punjab made his debut in 2013 and during his stints with Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, he picked up 112 wickets in the competition.

Sandeep Sharma is no stranger to the Indian Premier League (IPL). The medium pacer from Punjab made his debut in 2013 and during his stints with Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, he picked up 112 wickets in the competition. It was sort of a homecoming for Sandeep as he was picked by Punjab Kings ahead of 2022 season and currently, he is one of the senior campaigners in the side. The Mayank Agarwal-led side started the tournament on a positive note as they chased down a target of 206 runs to clinch the win against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Speaking exclusively to WION, Sandeep opened up about the game and the feeling in the dressing room after the win. Also read | Universe Boss' show not over yet! Chris Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023 - see pic “It is always a good feeling to win the first game of the tournament and we want to carry forward that momentum. Chasing 200 runs is very difficult but our batting was able to pull it off. It was a very positive result and the entire dressing room is extremely happy with what we were able to achieve.” The one thing that caught the attention of most experts during the match was the number of extras conceded by both sides. A total of 45 extras was conceded during the face-off – an IPL record – including 33 wides (12 from Punjab bowlers). In this regard, Sandeep explained dew as a factor but believes that wides were mainly conceded due to the bowlers’ reluctance to bowl in the batter's hitting arc. Also read | Harshal Patel equals IPL record with back-to-back maiden overs against Kolkata Knight Riders “The conditions were okay and it was mainly a batting wicket. I feel the bowlers did not want to come into the batsman’s arc and as they wanted to stay away from that line, they ended up bowling wide. Dew was also there and in coming games, it will become a factor,” the 28-year-old said. This year’s IPL will be played in just four venues around Maharashtra and the constant fixtures can result in pitches slowing down gradually towards the end of the tournament. However, Sandeep said that he is hoping for that to happen and only the Pune pitch can see big changes in the future. “I am not hoping for that as all the venues have 4-5 pitches and they will have 3-4 games each. Pitches in Maharashtra are very good and I think they will be able to sustain 4 games. As I said, dew will also play a part and once dew sets in, the ball will not move even if the wicket is slow. Maybe the pitches will slow down a little but the impact will not be that much.” Also read | Virat Kohli is Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket: Punjab Kings star lavishes praise on former RCB skipper “Maybe the Pune wicket can be different as dew is not a factor that much and the pitches are black soil pitches. So that is the only place where we can see a bit of change in conditions,” he added. Over the years, Sandeep has bowled to a number of world-class batsmen in the tournament and when asked about his toughest challenges, he was quick to name three seasoned veterans. “With the new ball, Suresh Raina was the most challenging batsman for me. With the old ball, I will have to say MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers as they are both amazing finishers,” Sandeep concluded.

EXCLUSIVE: Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers were the most challenging to bowl to, says Sandeep Sharma

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest crickets in the world and has been an inspiration for several young players, who look up to the former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. Kohli's love and dedication to fitness is a secret to none and his work ethic has been praised by many.

Kohli was not the fittest of cricketers when he had started out for Team India in international cricket but brought several changes in his lifestyle and diet to undergo a stunning transformation. One of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has been one of the most consistent performers for his teams across all formats.

Recently, Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, heaped praise on Kohli. The Punjab Kings star is looking forward to meeting Kohli and getting some advice for him on fitness having been dropped from the Sri Lankan team earlier this year due to fitness issues.

Rajapaksa also called Kohli the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket, comparing the Indian superstar with the Portuguese football icon. Even at 37, Ronaldo remains one of the fittest athletes in the world and continues to break records for his club and country.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/expecting-600-runs-from-virat-kohli-in-ipl-2022-rcb-legend-makes-bold-prediction-for-former-skipper-466934">Expecting 600-plus runs from Virat Kohli in IPL 2022: RCB legend makes bold prediction for former skipper</a>

"Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He’s at another different level when it comes to fitness. To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. The work he puts in, you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," Rajapaksa told PTI in an interview.

The Sri Lankan batter, who impressed on his IPL debut with a crucial knock of 22-ball 43 against RCB in their opening game, stressed the importance of fitness for cricketers and said he has been working hard on his body to ensure he can be on top of his game.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/would-be-great-to-see-virat-kohli-babar-azam-open-in-ipl-akhtar-predicts-price-tag-of-pakistan-captain-466900">Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain</a>

"As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first and then the fitness. But if you are not fit enough, you definitely can’t perform. I’m actually working hard on my fitness. Whenever I get a free day I hit the gym early in the morning," said Rajapaksa.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest crickets in the world and has been an inspiration for several young players, who look up to the former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain.

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest crickets in the world and has been an inspiration for several young players, who look up to the former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. Kohli's love and dedication to fitness is a secret to none and his work ethic has been praised by many. Kohli was not the fittest of cricketers when he had started out for Team India in international cricket but brought several changes in his lifestyle and diet to undergo a stunning transformation. One of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has been one of the most consistent performers for his teams across all formats. Recently, Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, heaped praise on Kohli. The Punjab Kings star is looking forward to meeting Kohli and getting some advice for him on fitness having been dropped from the Sri Lankan team earlier this year due to fitness issues. Rajapaksa also called Kohli the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket, comparing the Indian superstar with the Portuguese football icon. Even at 37, Ronaldo remains one of the fittest athletes in the world and continues to break records for his club and country. Also Read: Expecting 600-plus runs from Virat Kohli in IPL 2022: RCB legend makes bold prediction for former skipper "Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He’s at another different level when it comes to fitness. To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. The work he puts in, you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," Rajapaksa told PTI in an interview. The Sri Lankan batter, who impressed on his IPL debut with a crucial knock of 22-ball 43 against RCB in their opening game, stressed the importance of fitness for cricketers and said he has been working hard on his body to ensure he can be on top of his game. Also Read: Would be great to see Virat Kohli, Babar Azam open in IPL: Akhtar predicts price tag of Pakistan captain "As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first and then the fitness. But if you are not fit enough, you definitely can’t perform. I’m actually working hard on my fitness. Whenever I get a free day I hit the gym early in the morning," said Rajapaksa.

Virat Kohli is Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket: Punjab Kings star lavishes praise on former RCB skipper

Newly-appointed skipper Faf du Plessis' scintillating 57-ball 88 went in vain as Punjab Kings produced a solid batting display to script a successful chase for a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a thrilling IPL match here on Sunday.

While Du Plessis showed his six-hitting prowess, hammering seven maximums in his whirlwind knock, Virat Kohli also chipped in with an unbeaten 41 off 29 balls and Dinesh Karthik made a quick fire 32 not out as RCB posted a massive 205 for 2 after being invited to bat.

The chase was steep but not impossible and Punjab produced a sensational effort to overhaul the target, scoring 208 for 5 with an entire over to spare.

While Mayank Agarwal (32 off 24) and Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 29) added 71 for the first wicket to lay the foundation for the chase, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (43 off 22) also shone on his IPL debut but Punjab suffered a collapse to be down and out at 156 for 5.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rcb-skipper-faf-du-plessis-scripts-ipl-history-with-brilliant-knock-against-punjab-kings-466087">Faf du Plessis scripts IPL history with brilliant knock against Punjab Kings</a>

However, Shahrukh Khan (24 not out off 20 balls) and Odean Smith (25 not out off 8 balls) then joined hands to complete the job in the end. The duo shared a 52-run unbroken stand off just 25 balls for the sixth wicket to take Punjab home.

Smith smashed three sixes and a four off Mohammed Siraj in the 18th over to accumulate 25 runs and bring down the equation to 11 from the final two overs.

Shahrukh, who hit one four and two maximums, finished the game with a boundary as Mayank Agarwal started his captaincy tenure with a win.

Earlier, RCB skipper du Plessis and Kohli added 118 runs for the second wicket after the former and Anuj Rawat (21) had laid the foundation with their 50 run-stand.

RCB amassed 11 'extra' runs, off the second over off Arshdeep Singh. Du Plessis got his first boundary in the third, while in the same over, Rawat hit his first maximum, as RCB raced to 23/0.

Rawat hit successive boundaries in the sixth over, off Odean Smith. But leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (1/22) cut shot Rawat's stay by cleaning him up in the seventh over.

Kohli came in and he took time to settle down.

After successive twos, Kohli's first maximum came in the 10th over as RCB fetched 13 runs off it and at 70/1, the foundation was laid for a big total.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-mumbai-indians-skipper-rohit-sharma-fined-rs-12-lakh-for-slow-over-rate-against-delhi-capitals-466077" hreflang="en">MI skipper Rohit Sharma fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate vs DC</a>

The former South Africa skipper, who got a 'life', made optimum use of it and then upped the ante, as the carnage started from the 12th over when he hammered a towering six off Liam Livingstone.

Du Plessis was brutal on Odean Smith, whom he hammered for a boundary and two successive sixes. He followed it up with two sixes off Harpreet Brar (0/38).

Kohli, who hit a four and two sixes, was also in his elements, as he played shots at will. He, however, played second fiddle to Du Plessis when the South African was in full flow.

Du Plessis was dismissed in the 18th over, but by then the damage had been done.

A quick-fire 32 from Karthik off just 14 balls, in which he smashed three sixes and as many fours, took RCB beyond the 200-run mark.&nbsp;

Newly-appointed skipper Faf du Plessis' scintillating 57-ball 88 went in vain as Punjab Kings produced a solid batting display to script a successful chase for a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a thrilling IPL match here on Sunday.

Newly-appointed skipper Faf du Plessis' scintillating 57-ball 88 went in vain as Punjab Kings produced a solid batting display to script a successful chase for a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a thrilling IPL match here on Sunday. While Du Plessis showed his six-hitting prowess, hammering seven maximums in his whirlwind knock, Virat Kohli also chipped in with an unbeaten 41 off 29 balls and Dinesh Karthik made a quick fire 32 not out as RCB posted a massive 205 for 2 after being invited to bat. The chase was steep but not impossible and Punjab produced a sensational effort to overhaul the target, scoring 208 for 5 with an entire over to spare. While Mayank Agarwal (32 off 24) and Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 29) added 71 for the first wicket to lay the foundation for the chase, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (43 off 22) also shone on his IPL debut but Punjab suffered a collapse to be down and out at 156 for 5. Also read | Faf du Plessis scripts IPL history with brilliant knock against Punjab Kings However, Shahrukh Khan (24 not out off 20 balls) and Odean Smith (25 not out off 8 balls) then joined hands to complete the job in the end. The duo shared a 52-run unbroken stand off just 25 balls for the sixth wicket to take Punjab home. Smith smashed three sixes and a four off Mohammed Siraj in the 18th over to accumulate 25 runs and bring down the equation to 11 from the final two overs. Shahrukh, who hit one four and two maximums, finished the game with a boundary as Mayank Agarwal started his captaincy tenure with a win. Earlier, RCB skipper du Plessis and Kohli added 118 runs for the second wicket after the former and Anuj Rawat (21) had laid the foundation with their 50 run-stand. RCB amassed 11 'extra' runs, off the second over off Arshdeep Singh. Du Plessis got his first boundary in the third, while in the same over, Rawat hit his first maximum, as RCB raced to 23/0. Rawat hit successive boundaries in the sixth over, off Odean Smith. But leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (1/22) cut shot Rawat's stay by cleaning him up in the seventh over. Kohli came in and he took time to settle down. After successive twos, Kohli's first maximum came in the 10th over as RCB fetched 13 runs off it and at 70/1, the foundation was laid for a big total. Also read | MI skipper Rohit Sharma fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate vs DC The former South Africa skipper, who got a 'life', made optimum use of it and then upped the ante, as the carnage started from the 12th over when he hammered a towering six off Liam Livingstone. Du Plessis was brutal on Odean Smith, whom he hammered for a boundary and two successive sixes. He followed it up with two sixes off Harpreet Brar (0/38). Kohli, who hit a four and two sixes, was also in his elements, as he played shots at will. He, however, played second fiddle to Du Plessis when the South African was in full flow. Du Plessis was dismissed in the 18th over, but by then the damage had been done. A quick-fire 32 from Karthik off just 14 balls, in which he smashed three sixes and as many fours, took RCB beyond the 200-run mark.

IPL 2022: Punjab Kings pull off sensational run chase to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore

IPL 2022: Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings register impressive wins on Day 2

Punjab Kings pulled off a sensational run chase to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 but in the process, the two teams also broke the record of most extras recorded during an IPL game as both set of bowlers struggled in Mumbai.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-numbers-reveal-one-area-of-concern-for-lucknow-super-giants-skipper-kl-rahul-466400" hreflang="en">Numbers reveal one area of concern for Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul</a>

A total of 45 extras was conceded by both sides – the most ever in the history of IPL surpassing the previous record of 38 which was registered on two instances. It happened in 2008 during the match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders. A similar figure was record again when Kings XI Punjab (as Punjab Kings were previously known) took on Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2010 season.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab’s tally of 23 extras was also the sixth highest in IPL history followed by RCB’s 22. The top spot in the list belongs to Kolkata Knight Riders who conceded 28 extras in the 2008 encounter.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-providing-so-many-talents-to-indian-cricket-psl-hardly-doing-anything-for-pakistan-says-dinesh-kaneria-466351" hreflang="en">"IPL providing so many talents to Indian cricket, PSL hardly doing anything"</a>

It was a tough day for the bowlers as a combined 413 runs was scored at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Punjab ended up conceding 5 byes, 6 leg byes and 12 wides while RCB conceded one leg bye and 21 wides – 14 of which were bowled by their pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj.<o:p></o:p>

Faf Du Plessis scored a brilliant 88 to guide RCB to a challenging 205/2 after 20 overs but Punjab were able to register their third-highest successful chase in IPL history to clinch the encounter as Odean Smith and Shah Rukh Khan played a blinder towards the end of the innings to win with one over to spare.

Punjab Kings pulled off a sensational run chase to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 but in the process, the two teams also broke the record of most extras recorded during an IPL game as both set of bowlers struggled in Mumbai.

Punjab Kings pulled off a sensational run chase to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 but in the process, the two teams also broke the record of most extras recorded during an IPL game as both set of bowlers struggled in Mumbai. Also read | Numbers reveal one area of concern for Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul A total of 45 extras was conceded by both sides – the most ever in the history of IPL surpassing the previous record of 38 which was registered on two instances. It happened in 2008 during the match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders. A similar figure was record again when Kings XI Punjab (as Punjab Kings were previously known) took on Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2010 season. Punjab’s tally of 23 extras was also the sixth highest in IPL history followed by RCB’s 22. The top spot in the list belongs to Kolkata Knight Riders who conceded 28 extras in the 2008 encounter. Also read | "IPL providing so many talents to Indian cricket, PSL hardly doing anything" It was a tough day for the bowlers as a combined 413 runs was scored at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Punjab ended up conceding 5 byes, 6 leg byes and 12 wides while RCB conceded one leg bye and 21 wides – 14 of which were bowled by their pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj. Faf Du Plessis scored a brilliant 88 to guide RCB to a challenging 205/2 after 20 overs but Punjab were able to register their third-highest successful chase in IPL history to clinch the encounter as Odean Smith and Shah Rukh Khan played a blinder towards the end of the innings to win with one over to spare.

33 wides! RCB and Punjab Kings register bizarre record in high-scoring IPL 2022 clash

Punjab Kings would be "more than interested" if they are offered to own a team in the proposed Women's IPL next year, their co-owner Ness Wadia said on Monday.

In an IPL Governing Council meeting last week, a five to six-team Women's IPL was proposed for next year with the existing franchises getting first preference to be part of the competition.

"We would be more than interested in that (Women's IPL). IPL for women is long overdue and it would be very special when it happens. Women's cricket has really developed over the years," Wadia told PTI.

"The World Cup is going on right now and there is so much interest for the women's game. It was heartbreaking to see our team lose yesterday."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mithali-raj-achieves-unique-feat-becomes-oldest-indian-cricketer-to-score-half-century-in-womens-world-cup-465894">Mithali Raj creates world record, becomes oldest Indian cricketer to score half-century in Women's World Cup</a>

Asked about the base price for owning a women's team, Wadia said: "That is for the BCCI to decide but I can tell you if we are asked to own a team we would be more than interested. I feel the league would be sustainable as well."

The BCCI has been under a bit of pressure to organise the Women's IPL.

Women's Big Bash in Australia has been taking place since 2015-2016 and a Women's Hundred competition was also staged in the UK last year. Cricket West Indies will organise a three-team CPL from this year onwards.

BCCI pocketed over a billion dollars for selling two new men's IPL teams. The Board is expecting another windfall with the IPL media rights up for grabs. Star had paid approximately Rs 16,000 crore for the 2018-2022 cycle.

The next five-year cycle could fetch as much as Rs 40,000 crore.

"I would be surprised if it doesn't double at least. Upwards of 35000 crore for sure," said Wadia.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-will-open-with-gill-gujarat-titans-predicted-xi-for-ipl-2022-game-against-lucknow-super-giants-466332">Who will open with Gill? Gujarat Titans predicted XI for IPL 2022 game against Lucknow Super Giants</a>

The IPL 2022 began in Mumbai on Saturday and the Indian national anthem was played before the start of the game between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Punjab Kings had proposed the idea to the BCCI.

"We discussed with Jay Shah and Sourav Ganguly and they were more than happy to go ahead with it. The national anthem is played in sporting leagues in the USA.

"I am a die hard patriot and was overjoyed when it (National Anthem) was played. It is the Indian Premier League after all," Wadia added.

Punjab Kings would be "more than interested" if they are offered to own a team in the proposed Women's IPL next year, their co-owner Ness Wadia said on Monday. In an IPL Governing Council meeting last week, a five to six-team Women's IPL was proposed for next year with the existing franchises getting first preference to be part of the competition.

Punjab Kings would be "more than interested" if they are offered to own a team in the proposed Women's IPL next year, their co-owner Ness Wadia said on Monday. In an IPL Governing Council meeting last week, a five to six-team Women's IPL was proposed for next year with the existing franchises getting first preference to be part of the competition. "We would be more than interested in that (Women's IPL). IPL for women is long overdue and it would be very special when it happens. Women's cricket has really developed over the years," Wadia told PTI. "The World Cup is going on right now and there is so much interest for the women's game. It was heartbreaking to see our team lose yesterday." ALSO READ: Mithali Raj creates world record, becomes oldest Indian cricketer to score half-century in Women's World Cup Asked about the base price for owning a women's team, Wadia said: "That is for the BCCI to decide but I can tell you if we are asked to own a team we would be more than interested. I feel the league would be sustainable as well." The BCCI has been under a bit of pressure to organise the Women's IPL. Women's Big Bash in Australia has been taking place since 2015-2016 and a Women's Hundred competition was also staged in the UK last year. Cricket West Indies will organise a three-team CPL from this year onwards. BCCI pocketed over a billion dollars for selling two new men's IPL teams. The Board is expecting another windfall with the IPL media rights up for grabs. Star had paid approximately Rs 16,000 crore for the 2018-2022 cycle. The next five-year cycle could fetch as much as Rs 40,000 crore. "I would be surprised if it doesn't double at least. Upwards of 35000 crore for sure," said Wadia. ALSO READ: Who will open with Gill? Gujarat Titans predicted XI for IPL 2022 game against Lucknow Super Giants The IPL 2022 began in Mumbai on Saturday and the Indian national anthem was played before the start of the game between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Punjab Kings had proposed the idea to the BCCI. "We discussed with Jay Shah and Sourav Ganguly and they were more than happy to go ahead with it. The national anthem is played in sporting leagues in the USA. "I am a die hard patriot and was overjoyed when it (National Anthem) was played. It is the Indian Premier League after all," Wadia added.

We would be 'more than interested' to own a team in Women's IPL, says Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia

The cricketing action will continue on IPL 2022's second day itself. On Sunday (March 27), the 15th season will see its first doubleheader as Mumbai Indians (MI) face Delhi Capitals in the afternoon game whereas two new-look teams in the form of Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mayank Agarwal's Punjab Kings (PBKS) will lock horns with each other in the evening encounter.

Talking about the second game of the doubleheader, it will be an exciting contest between two teams who have changed a whole lot since the last season. For Punjab, they will have a new captain once again after KL Rahul left the franchise to join the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Mayank will step into his shoes and has a power-packed squad, comprising the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Rahul Chahar, etc. Jonny Bairstow is currently involved in England's third and final Test versus West Indies in the Caribbean island and, hence, his absence will be felt. Nonetheless, PBKS have most of their players which should keep them in good stead.&nbsp;

On the other hand, the perennial underachievers RCB will be led by Faf du Plessis. He steps into the big shoes of Virat Kohli, who resigned from the top post after IPL 2021. Faf will have Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik's experience along with him but the Aussie all-rounder will miss the opening few games due to his marriage. Bengaluru still have enough firepower to rely upon and will give a tough competition to the Punjab line-up.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/kkr-begin-ipl-2022-campaign-with-six-wicket-victory-over-csk-465818">KKR begin IPL 2022 campaign with six-wicket victory over CSK</a>

It will be interesting to see how the bowlers from both sides utilise the DY Patil Stadium's surface, which has been used as a football ground of late. The captains will also be put to test to rotate their bowlers and set a template for their batters on a pitch which can have anything on offer.&nbsp;

Match prediction for RCB vs PBKS: The surface at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai continues to be the biggest talking point ahead of the season. Being in the early days of IPL 2022, not much can be predicted on how it will come into play. If one analyses the two teams on paper, Punjab pack a solid punch, however, it remains to be seen how well they gel and show up on the field versus the three-time runners-up.

In head-to-head, Punjab lead RCB 15-13.&nbsp;

The cricketing action will continue on IPL 2022's second day itself. On Sunday (March 27), the 15th season will see its first doubleheader as Mumbai Indians (MI) face Delhi Capitals in the afternoon game whereas two new-look teams in the form of Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mayank Agarwal's Punjab Kings (PBKS) will lock horns with each other in the evening encounter.

The cricketing action will continue on IPL 2022's second day itself. On Sunday (March 27), the 15th season will see its first doubleheader as Mumbai Indians (MI) face Delhi Capitals in the afternoon game whereas two new-look teams in the form of Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mayank Agarwal's Punjab Kings (PBKS) will lock horns with each other in the evening encounter. Talking about the second game of the doubleheader, it will be an exciting contest between two teams who have changed a whole lot since the last season. For Punjab, they will have a new captain once again after KL Rahul left the franchise to join the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Mayank will step into his shoes and has a power-packed squad, comprising the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Rahul Chahar, etc. Jonny Bairstow is currently involved in England's third and final Test versus West Indies in the Caribbean island and, hence, his absence will be felt. Nonetheless, PBKS have most of their players which should keep them in good stead. On the other hand, the perennial underachievers RCB will be led by Faf du Plessis. He steps into the big shoes of Virat Kohli, who resigned from the top post after IPL 2021. Faf will have Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik's experience along with him but the Aussie all-rounder will miss the opening few games due to his marriage. Bengaluru still have enough firepower to rely upon and will give a tough competition to the Punjab line-up. ALSO READ | KKR begin IPL 2022 campaign with six-wicket victory over CSK It will be interesting to see how the bowlers from both sides utilise the DY Patil Stadium's surface, which has been used as a football ground of late. The captains will also be put to test to rotate their bowlers and set a template for their batters on a pitch which can have anything on offer. Match prediction for RCB vs PBKS: The surface at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai continues to be the biggest talking point ahead of the season. Being in the early days of IPL 2022, not much can be predicted on how it will come into play. If one analyses the two teams on paper, Punjab pack a solid punch, however, it remains to be seen how well they gel and show up on the field versus the three-time runners-up. In head-to-head, Punjab lead RCB 15-13.

RCB vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings match?

Faf du Plessis had a dream start to his stint as Royal Challengers Bangalore captain as he scored an impressive 88 from 57 deliveries during the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Punjab Kings on Sunday. The South Africa opener slammed three fours and seven sixes during his innings.<o:p></o:p>

Faf started slow along with Anuj Rawat but keep accelerating with time as he stitched together a 108-run partnership with Virat Kohli to take his side to a total of 205 for the loss of two wickets.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-mumbai-indians-skipper-rohit-sharma-fined-rs-12-lakh-for-slow-over-rate-against-delhi-capitals-466077" hreflang="en">MI skipper Rohit Sharma fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate vs DC</a><o:p></o:p>

Thanks to his brilliant knock, Faf scripted history by claiming the record of most runs scored by an overseas player on captaincy debut. The previous record belonged to Kieron Pollard who scored 83 when he played his first game as captain of Mumbai Indians during the 2019 season.<o:p></o:p>

Overall, he is currently in fourth position behind Sanju Samson’s 119f or Rajasthan Royals, Mayank Agarwal's 99 for Punjab Kings and 93 by Shreyas Iyer on his captaincy debut for Delhi Capitals.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-gujarat-lions-unveil-vice-captain-ahead-of-lucknow-super-giants-encounter-466079" hreflang="en">Gujarat Lions unveil vice-captain ahead of Lucknow Super Giants encounter</a><o:p></o:p>

During his innings, Faf also completed 3000 career runs in IPL and became the third fastest batsman to reach the milestone. He is currently joint third in the list with David Warner who also took 94 innings to score 3000 runs. Chris Gayle was the fastest (75 innings) followed by KL Rahul.<o:p></o:p>

Kohli provided able support to Faf during the innings with a 32-ball-41 and Dinesh Karthik launched a late onslaught (32 off 14 deliveries) to take RCB to a solid total in their tournament opener.<o:p></o:p>

Faf du Plessis had a dream start to his stint as Royal Challengers Bangalore captain as he scored an impressive 88 from 57 deliveries during the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Punjab Kings on Sunday.

Faf du Plessis had a dream start to his stint as Royal Challengers Bangalore captain as he scored an impressive 88 from 57 deliveries during the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Punjab Kings on Sunday. The South Africa opener slammed three fours and seven sixes during his innings. Faf started slow along with Anuj Rawat but keep accelerating with time as he stitched together a 108-run partnership with Virat Kohli to take his side to a total of 205 for the loss of two wickets. Also read | MI skipper Rohit Sharma fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate vs DC Thanks to his brilliant knock, Faf scripted history by claiming the record of most runs scored by an overseas player on captaincy debut. The previous record belonged to Kieron Pollard who scored 83 when he played his first game as captain of Mumbai Indians during the 2019 season. Overall, he is currently in fourth position behind Sanju Samson’s 119f or Rajasthan Royals, Mayank Agarwal's 99 for Punjab Kings and 93 by Shreyas Iyer on his captaincy debut for Delhi Capitals. Also read | Gujarat Lions unveil vice-captain ahead of Lucknow Super Giants encounter During his innings, Faf also completed 3000 career runs in IPL and became the third fastest batsman to reach the milestone. He is currently joint third in the list with David Warner who also took 94 innings to score 3000 runs. Chris Gayle was the fastest (75 innings) followed by KL Rahul. Kohli provided able support to Faf during the innings with a 32-ball-41 and Dinesh Karthik launched a late onslaught (32 off 14 deliveries) to take RCB to a solid total in their tournament opener.

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis scripts IPL history with brilliant knock against Punjab Kings

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be hoping for a fresh start under the leadership of new skipper Faf du Plessis when they take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season at the Dy Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (March 27). Both RCB and PBKS are yet to win their maiden IPL title and are heading into the 2022 season with new captains at the helm.

While Du Plessis has replaced Virat Kohli as the new captain of RCB, Mayank Agarwal will be leading Punjab Kings after being appointed as the full-time captain of the franchise following KL Rahul's exit. Both RCB and PBKS had&nbsp;revamped their respective squads ahead of the new season and will be looking to get off to a winning start.

Punjab had retained only two players ahead of the mega auction in the form of their skipper Mayank and young pacer Harpreet Brar. They went on to rope in the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone among others to build a formidable squad with a great mix of youth and experience.

However, both Bairstow and Rabada are set to miss the opener against RCB and PBKS will face a tricky situation in picking their four overseas players for the clash. While they will have Shikhar Dhawan opening the batting, Livingstone might bat at number four.

Odean Smith, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell and Nathan Ellis are the only other overseas players available for selection for PBKS and it remains to be seen who will make the cut in the final XI.

RCB will rely heavily on Du Plessis to get them a good start at the top and are likely to head into the clash with a trio of all-rounders in the form of Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey and Sherfane Rutherford, who can all be game-changers with the bat and the ball. Du Plessis is likely to open with Anuj Rawat with Kohli batting at no.3 in Glenn Maxwell's absence.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-will-virat-kohli-open-with-faf-du-plessis-rcbs-predicted-playing-xi-for-punjab-kings-clash-465897">IPL 2022: Will Virat Kohli open with Faf du Plessis? RCB's predicted playing XI for Punjab Kings clash</a>

Here is all you need to know about the RCB vs PBKS clash in IPL 2022:

Head to head:

Punjab Kings have a slight edge over Royal Challengers Bangalore when it comes to the head to head record between the two teams. Punjab have 15 wins to their name in 28 meetings against RCB compared to the latter's 13.

Stats:

Virat Kohli has the most runs against Punjab Kings among all batters in the current RCB squad. Kohli has 741 runs against the Punjab franchise and will look to extend his tally with a big knock on Sunday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-no-rabada-bairstow-mayank-agarwal-led-punjab-kings-predicted-playing-xi-for-rcb-clash-465971">IPL 2022: No Rabada, Bairstow! Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings predicted playing XI for RCB clash</a>

Trivia:

In the last five encounters between the two teams, Punjab Kings have managed to beat RCB thrice. However, in the previous meeting between the two teams, RCB came out on top against Punjab by six runs.

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Sherfane Rutherford, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Siddarth Kaul, Karn Sharma, Finn Allen, Suyash Prabhudessai, Luvnith Sisodia, Chama V Milind, Akash Deep, Aneeshwar Gautam

Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Odean Smith, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma, Rishi Dhawan, Benny Howell, Ishan Porel, Nathan Ellis, Raj Bawa, Baltej Singh, Writtick Chatterjee, Jitesh Sharma, Prerak Mankad, Atharva Taide, Vaibhav Arora, Ansh Patel

&nbsp;

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be hoping for a fresh start under the leadership of new skipper Faf du Plessis when they take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season at the Dy Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (March 27).

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be hoping for a fresh start under the leadership of new skipper Faf du Plessis when they take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season at the Dy Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (March 27). Both RCB and PBKS are yet to win their maiden IPL title and are heading into the 2022 season with new captains at the helm. While Du Plessis has replaced Virat Kohli as the new captain of RCB, Mayank Agarwal will be leading Punjab Kings after being appointed as the full-time captain of the franchise following KL Rahul's exit. Both RCB and PBKS had revamped their respective squads ahead of the new season and will be looking to get off to a winning start. Punjab had retained only two players ahead of the mega auction in the form of their skipper Mayank and young pacer Harpreet Brar. They went on to rope in the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone among others to build a formidable squad with a great mix of youth and experience. However, both Bairstow and Rabada are set to miss the opener against RCB and PBKS will face a tricky situation in picking their four overseas players for the clash. While they will have Shikhar Dhawan opening the batting, Livingstone might bat at number four. Odean Smith, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell and Nathan Ellis are the only other overseas players available for selection for PBKS and it remains to be seen who will make the cut in the final XI. RCB will rely heavily on Du Plessis to get them a good start at the top and are likely to head into the clash with a trio of all-rounders in the form of Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey and Sherfane Rutherford, who can all be game-changers with the bat and the ball. Du Plessis is likely to open with Anuj Rawat with Kohli batting at no.3 in Glenn Maxwell's absence. Also Read: IPL 2022: Will Virat Kohli open with Faf du Plessis? RCB's predicted playing XI for Punjab Kings clash Here is all you need to know about the RCB vs PBKS clash in IPL 2022: Head to head: Punjab Kings have a slight edge over Royal Challengers Bangalore when it comes to the head to head record between the two teams. Punjab have 15 wins to their name in 28 meetings against RCB compared to the latter's 13. Stats: Virat Kohli has the most runs against Punjab Kings among all batters in the current RCB squad. Kohli has 741 runs against the Punjab franchise and will look to extend his tally with a big knock on Sunday. Also Read: IPL 2022: No Rabada, Bairstow! Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings predicted playing XI for RCB clash Trivia: In the last five encounters between the two teams, Punjab Kings have managed to beat RCB thrice. However, in the previous meeting between the two teams, RCB came out on top against Punjab by six runs. Squads: Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Sherfane Rutherford, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Siddarth Kaul, Karn Sharma, Finn Allen, Suyash Prabhudessai, Luvnith Sisodia, Chama V Milind, Akash Deep, Aneeshwar Gautam Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Odean Smith, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma, Rishi Dhawan, Benny Howell, Ishan Porel, Nathan Ellis, Raj Bawa, Baltej Singh, Writtick Chatterjee, Jitesh Sharma, Prerak Mankad, Atharva Taide, Vaibhav Arora, Ansh Patel

IPL 2022: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads

Punjab Kings will be looking to start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season on a high as they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match in Mumbai on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>

The franchise went into the auction with a huge budget as they retained just two players – Mayank Agarwal, who will be leading the side this year, and young bowler Arshdeep Singh.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-will-virat-kohli-open-with-faf-du-plessis-rcbs-predicted-playing-xi-for-punjab-kings-clash-465897" hreflang="en">Will Kohli open with Du Plessis? RCB's predicted playing XI vs PBKS</a><o:p></o:p>

However, their performance in the auction has quickly made them a favourite ahead of the season and although Punjab Kings will be missing two big money signings in England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow and South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada, they currently boast of an impressive XI.<o:p></o:p>

Mayank Agarwal will be opening the batting for his side and he will be accompanied by the vastly experienced Shikhar Dhawan who will be looking to prove a point after being released by Delhi Capitals. The next two slots will go to two of the power hitters in the side – Liam Livingstone who is known for his destructive bowling and all-rounder Shahrukh Khan who costed them INR 9 crore.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/south-africa-beat-india-in-last-ball-thriller-as-mithali-raj-co-crash-out-of-womens-world-cup-2022-465912">SA beat India in last-ball thriller to dump them out of Women's WC 2022</a><o:p></o:p>

With Bairstow not in the team for the match, Prabhsimran Singh is expected to keep wickets and in the middle order, he will be joined by Harpreet Brar and West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith.<o:p></o:p>

Nathan Ellis, Sandeep Sharma and Arshdeep Singh will most probably be the pace trio for Punjab Kings on the Mumbai Pitches while Rahul Chahar may find a place as their specialist spinner.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Odean Smith, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma, Arshdeep Singh<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings will be looking to start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season on a high as they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match in Mumbai on Sunday.

Punjab Kings will be looking to start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season on a high as they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match in Mumbai on Sunday. The franchise went into the auction with a huge budget as they retained just two players – Mayank Agarwal, who will be leading the side this year, and young bowler Arshdeep Singh. Also read | Will Kohli open with Du Plessis? RCB's predicted playing XI vs PBKS However, their performance in the auction has quickly made them a favourite ahead of the season and although Punjab Kings will be missing two big money signings in England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow and South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada, they currently boast of an impressive XI. Mayank Agarwal will be opening the batting for his side and he will be accompanied by the vastly experienced Shikhar Dhawan who will be looking to prove a point after being released by Delhi Capitals. The next two slots will go to two of the power hitters in the side – Liam Livingstone who is known for his destructive bowling and all-rounder Shahrukh Khan who costed them INR 9 crore. Also read | SA beat India in last-ball thriller to dump them out of Women's WC 2022 With Bairstow not in the team for the match, Prabhsimran Singh is expected to keep wickets and in the middle order, he will be joined by Harpreet Brar and West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith. Nathan Ellis, Sandeep Sharma and Arshdeep Singh will most probably be the pace trio for Punjab Kings on the Mumbai Pitches while Rahul Chahar may find a place as their specialist spinner. Punjab Kings XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Odean Smith, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Sandeep Sharma, Arshdeep Singh

IPL 2022: No Rabada, Bairstow! Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings predicted playing XI for RCB clash

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will embark on a new era under their new captain Faf du Plessis when they lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season on Sunday (March 27). RCB will take on PBKS at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and will be hoping to get off to a winning start.

RCB are one of the six teams who have been part of all 15 seasons since the inception of the IPL in 2008 but are yet to win the league. RCB were a force to reckon with under former captain Kohli but failed to lift their maiden IPL title. Kohli led RCB in a total of 140 matches before stepping down as captain following the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year.

Kohli was replaced by veteran batter and former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis as the captain of the side. RCB roped in Du Plessis for a sum of Rs 7 crore (INR 70 million) at the IPL 2022 mega auction last month after his stellar season for his former side Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last year. Du Plessis was the second-highest run-getter in IPL 2021 and played an instrumental role in CSK's memorable title-winning campaign.

RCB will be hoping for a change in fortunes under the leadership of Du Plessis, who is an experienced campaigner in the IPL and has won the trophy twice with CSK. Kohli will be playing his first game under Faf as a player against Punjab Kings on Sunday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-matthew-hayden-slammed-on-twitter-after-trash-comment-on-kkr-pacer-umesh-yadav-465877">IPL 2022: Matthew Hayden slammed on Twitter after 'trash' comment on KKR pacer Umesh Yadav</a>

While many have urged Kohli to open the innings with new skipper Du Plessis, the former captain is unlikely to bat on top of the order in the absence of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as it leaves RCB thin in the middle-order. Du Plessis might open the batting with youngster Anuj Rawat with Kohli coming out at his usual no.3 spot.

Maxwell is likely to miss the first few games of the season for RCB and in his absence, Kohli will have to shoulder the run-scoring responsibilities in the middle-order. Dinesh Karthik will also have to play a key role for the franchise as a finisher. RCB paid huge money for Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga in the auction and he is likely to feature in the playing XI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dwayne-bravo-equals-lasith-malingas-all-time-record-becomes-joint-highest-wicket-taker-in-ipl-history-465852">Dwayne Bravo equals Lasith Malinga's all-time record, becomes joint highest wicket-taker in IPL history</a>

Along with Hasarnaga, RCB might also play two other overseas all-rounders in the form of Sherfane Rutherford and David Willey to further strengthen their bowling attack and bat deep. Harshal Patel will continue to lead the pace attack along with the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.

RCB's predicted XI against Punjab Kings:

Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror, Sherfane Rutherford, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj,&nbsp;Akash Deep

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will embark on a new era under their new captain Faf du Plessis when they lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season on Sunday (March 27).

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will embark on a new era under their new captain Faf du Plessis when they lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season on Sunday (March 27). RCB will take on PBKS at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and will be hoping to get off to a winning start. RCB are one of the six teams who have been part of all 15 seasons since the inception of the IPL in 2008 but are yet to win the league. RCB were a force to reckon with under former captain Kohli but failed to lift their maiden IPL title. Kohli led RCB in a total of 140 matches before stepping down as captain following the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year. Kohli was replaced by veteran batter and former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis as the captain of the side. RCB roped in Du Plessis for a sum of Rs 7 crore (INR 70 million) at the IPL 2022 mega auction last month after his stellar season for his former side Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last year. Du Plessis was the second-highest run-getter in IPL 2021 and played an instrumental role in CSK's memorable title-winning campaign. RCB will be hoping for a change in fortunes under the leadership of Du Plessis, who is an experienced campaigner in the IPL and has won the trophy twice with CSK. Kohli will be playing his first game under Faf as a player against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Also Read: IPL 2022: Matthew Hayden slammed on Twitter after 'trash' comment on KKR pacer Umesh Yadav While many have urged Kohli to open the innings with new skipper Du Plessis, the former captain is unlikely to bat on top of the order in the absence of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as it leaves RCB thin in the middle-order. Du Plessis might open the batting with youngster Anuj Rawat with Kohli coming out at his usual no.3 spot. Maxwell is likely to miss the first few games of the season for RCB and in his absence, Kohli will have to shoulder the run-scoring responsibilities in the middle-order. Dinesh Karthik will also have to play a key role for the franchise as a finisher. RCB paid huge money for Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga in the auction and he is likely to feature in the playing XI. Also Read: Dwayne Bravo equals Lasith Malinga's all-time record, becomes joint highest wicket-taker in IPL history Along with Hasarnaga, RCB might also play two other overseas all-rounders in the form of Sherfane Rutherford and David Willey to further strengthen their bowling attack and bat deep. Harshal Patel will continue to lead the pace attack along with the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. RCB's predicted XI against Punjab Kings: Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror, Sherfane Rutherford, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep

IPL 2022: Will Virat Kohli open with Faf du Plessis? RCB's predicted playing XI for Punjab Kings clash

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli cannot wait to get on the field for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

IPL 2022 will begin with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

As RCB will lock horns with Punjab Kings in their first match of the tournament on Sunday. An 'excited'&nbsp;Kohli on Saturday shared pictures from his training session.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-crickets-crown-jewel-the-ipl-is-back-home-bigger-better-and-longer-465657">Indian cricket's crown jewel, the IPL, is back home: bigger, better and longer</a>

"Heading into matchday weekend. All the buzz and excitement of IPL are in the air. Love this anticipation and butterflies in the stomach before the tournament starts," Virat Kohli said on Koo.

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<div style="padding: 10px"><a href="https://www.kooapp.com/koo/virat.kohli/de32ea74-6cdb-4248-a880-17aa8d49ea54" style="text-decoration:none;color: inherit !important;" target="_blank">Heading into matchday weekend. All the buzz and excitement of IPL in the air. Love this anticipation and butterflies in the stomach before the tournament starts. 👌✅</a>

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Kohli, free from the responsibilities as the captain, is focused on helping RCB lift the IPL trophy this season.

Asked if relinquishing captaincy duties has given him refreshed energy, Kohli on the RCB website said, "(I have) renewed energy because I'm off a lot of responsibilities and duties. And life is in a very good place. We have a child now, we have a family. For me, it's all about going on with life with a lot of joy and happiness and just watching our child grow and then just doing what I love, which is playing cricket."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-csk-vs-kkr-head-to-head-record-trivia-stats-and-squads-465662">IPL 2022: CSK vs KKR - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads​</a>​​​​​​

"So, my focus is so clear now, it's so precise what I want to do. I want to just have a lot of fun and enjoy myself on the field and give myself fully to this team, to this franchise like I have for so many years, without any load. So, I'm absolutely ready," he added.

Coming back to IPL, the games will be played across stadiums in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune with an audience occupancy rate of 25 per cent as per COVID-19 protocols.

In all, 20 matches each will be held at Wankhede Stadium and DY Patil Stadium, 15 matches each at Brabourne and MCA International Stadium, Pune.&nbsp;

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli cannot wait to get on the field for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. IPL 2022 will begin with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli cannot wait to get on the field for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. IPL 2022 will begin with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. As RCB will lock horns with Punjab Kings in their first match of the tournament on Sunday. An 'excited' Kohli on Saturday shared pictures from his training session. ALSO READ: Indian cricket's crown jewel, the IPL, is back home: bigger, better and longer "Heading into matchday weekend. All the buzz and excitement of IPL are in the air. Love this anticipation and butterflies in the stomach before the tournament starts," Virat Kohli said on Koo. Koo App Heading into matchday weekend. All the buzz and excitement of IPL in the air. Love this anticipation and butterflies in the stomach before the tournament starts. 👌✅ View attached media content - Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) 26 Mar 2022 × Kohli, free from the responsibilities as the captain, is focused on helping RCB lift the IPL trophy this season. Asked if relinquishing captaincy duties has given him refreshed energy, Kohli on the RCB website said, "(I have) renewed energy because I'm off a lot of responsibilities and duties. And life is in a very good place. We have a child now, we have a family. For me, it's all about going on with life with a lot of joy and happiness and just watching our child grow and then just doing what I love, which is playing cricket." ALSO READ: IPL 2022: CSK vs KKR - Head to head record, trivia, stats and squads "So, my focus is so clear now, it's so precise what I want to do. I want to just have a lot of fun and enjoy myself on the field and give myself fully to this team, to this franchise like I have for so many years, without any load. So, I'm absolutely ready," he added. Coming back to IPL, the games will be played across stadiums in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune with an audience occupancy rate of 25 per cent as per COVID-19 protocols. In all, 20 matches each will be held at Wankhede Stadium and DY Patil Stadium, 15 matches each at Brabourne and MCA International Stadium, Pune.

IPL 2022: Butterflies in stomach before tournament starts, says Virat Kohli ahead of RCB's clash against PBKS

Liam Livingstone is a name that is synonymous with T20 leagues around the world. The England all-rounder is well known for his aggressive batting for franchises in various countries and thanks to his brilliant performances, he was picked by Punjab Kings ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.<o:p></o:p>

Livingstone commanded an impressive price of INR 11.5 crore as multiple franchises went for him and ahead of the tournament, he ended the suspense regarding his position in the batting order.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-suryakumar-yadav-can-cement-his-spot-in-team-india-says-sunil-gavaskar-465507" hreflang="en">Suryakumar Yadav can cement his spot in Team India, says Sunil Gavaskar</a>

"I know where I am going to bat anyway. I am going to bat in the middle-order so it would be stupid of me to say otherwise. I'm probably going to bat at 4 or 5. The team is always bigger than the individual and you've got to fit into a role which the team needs you and I think Punjab Kings are going to need me in the middle order role so that's where I am focused. I haven't even thought about anywhere else. The team is really important and I'm excited; hope I can finish off games while batting second or post a big total batting first," Livingstone told Sports Tak.<o:p></o:p>

Livingstone was the fourth costliest player in this year’s auction after Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians), Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings) and Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders). However, the England international made it clear that he will not be intimidated by the massive price tag.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-ipl-2022-rishabh-pant-needs-to-maintain-his-aggressive-edge-for-dc-says-ricky-ponting-465468" hreflang="en">Pant needs to maintain his aggressive edge for DC, says Ponting</a>

“We are picked as cricketers to come in and do our jobs, which is to score runs and take wickets and catches. So I think the monetary value is irrelevant. I've played in the last couple of years for not a lot. The IPL is the biggest tournament in the world and I’m just really excited to get going,” he said.<o:p></o:p>

Punjab Kings will begin their IPL 2022 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 27.<o:p></o:p>

Liam Livingstone is a name that is synonymous with T20 leagues around the world. The England all-rounder is well known for his aggressive batting for franchises in various countries and thanks to his brilliant performances, he was picked by Punjab Kings ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

Liam Livingstone is a name that is synonymous with T20 leagues around the world. The England all-rounder is well known for his aggressive batting for franchises in various countries and thanks to his brilliant performances, he was picked by Punjab Kings ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Livingstone commanded an impressive price of INR 11.5 crore as multiple franchises went for him and ahead of the tournament, he ended the suspense regarding his position in the batting order. Also read | Suryakumar Yadav can cement his spot in Team India, says Sunil Gavaskar "I know where I am going to bat anyway. I am going to bat in the middle-order so it would be stupid of me to say otherwise. I'm probably going to bat at 4 or 5. The team is always bigger than the individual and you've got to fit into a role which the team needs you and I think Punjab Kings are going to need me in the middle order role so that's where I am focused. I haven't even thought about anywhere else. The team is really important and I'm excited; hope I can finish off games while batting second or post a big total batting first," Livingstone told Sports Tak. Livingstone was the fourth costliest player in this year’s auction after Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians), Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings) and Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders). However, the England international made it clear that he will not be intimidated by the massive price tag. Also read | Pant needs to maintain his aggressive edge for DC, says Ponting “We are picked as cricketers to come in and do our jobs, which is to score runs and take wickets and catches. So I think the monetary value is irrelevant. I've played in the last couple of years for not a lot. The IPL is the biggest tournament in the world and I’m just really excited to get going,” he said. Punjab Kings will begin their IPL 2022 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 27.

IPL 2022: Liam Livingstone opens up about preferred position in Punjab Kings batting order

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