Find out team news, TV and streaming information, odds, weather forecasts and much, much more ahead of the next game of the 2021 Indian Premier League season
Royal Challengers Bangalore meet Punjab Kings in the 2021 Indian Premier League.
The game is scheduled for 2pm UAE (11pm BST, 3.30pm IST) on Sunday, October 3, 2021.
The two sides will meet at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are all but assured of a place in the knockout stages. Virat Kohli's side are currently third in the table, with seven wins and four defeats in 11 matches and a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Punjab Kings. And, after losing three matches in a row earlier in the tournament, RCB have bounced back with two consecutive victories against Mumbai Indians (54 runs) and Rajasthan Royals (seven wickets).
Punjab Kings are also in the running for a top four finish but with only two games remaining, KL Rahul's side cannot afford to slip up against RCB or Chennai Super Kings. The Kings have had mixed form in the UAE, winning two and losing two. In their most recent outing, they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets.
In the reverse fixture, Punjab Kings cantered to a 34-run victory thanks to an unbeaten 91 from skipper Rahul.
Dafabet are backing RCB to win this encounter, offering odds of 8/13. Punjab Kings are available at 5/4.
Virat Kohli is the favourite to top-score for RCB, with odds of 21/10, while KL Rahul is at 15/8 for Punjab Kings.
As to who will hit the most sixes, the two sides cannot be separated, sharing odds of 21/20.
Glenn Maxwell is in stunning form for RCB. The Australian, who is ranked second on the T20 Player Index, has scored half-centuries in his past two innings, including a match-winning 50 off just 30 balls against Rajasthan Royals. After scoring 106 runs in two matches, Maxwell is now RCB's leading run-scorer, with 350 runs at a strike rate of 141.70 and four 50+ knocks.
For Punjab Kings, Shahrukh Khan is growing in stature as a middle-order finisher. The 26-year-old has contributed 129 runs at a strike rate of 138.70 for the Kings and was instrumental in their victory over KKR, smashing 22 runs from just nine deliveries. Should Rahul and Mayank Agarwal fail to fire for Punjab, Khan's presence down the order is a get out of jail card.
With the ball, Arshdeep Singh is Punjab's leading wicket-taker, with 16 wickets and an economy of 7.71. RCB's Harshal Patel is the competition's leading wicket-taker, with 26 wickets - eight clear of Delhi's Avesh Khan.
Chris Gayle has withdrawn from the remainder of the tournament, citing bubble fatigue, which deprives Punjab Kings of his supreme batting talents. Gayle had scored 193 runs in 10 appearances for the Kings in 2021. KL Rahul's side are otherwise full strength.
George Garton made his IPL debut for RCB against Rajasthan Royals and will likely retain his spot in the XI after taking 1 for 30.
The two teams have played each other 27 times.
Royal Challengers Bangalore wins: 12
Punjab Kings wins: 15
Scorching hot conditions are forecast for Sharjah, with temperatures expected to peak at 37 degrees Celsius.
Follow the Met Office forecast here.
Yes, a limited number of fans are allowed to attend games during the IPL's UAE leg.
RCB are looking to add to their two-match winning streak and have playoff qualification in sight. RCB win.
IPL TEAM GUIDES
Sky Sports have the rights in the United Kingdom.
You can aso stream the tournament using the Disney+ Hotstar digital platform, though the matches are only available for VIP or Premium subscribers.
Star Sports have the television rights in India.
Streaming service YuppTV have acquired digital streaming rights in a host of markets, including Australia, continental Europe, Malaysia, Southeast Asia with the exception of Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Central Asia, and Central and South America.
In the USA, the games will be broadcast on Willow TV and the Willow TV website. Fox Sports have the broadcasting rights in Australia, while Supersport will televise the games in South Africa. In the Caribbean, Flow TV have the rights.
The following broadcasters owning the rights for their respective regions:
Bangladesh: Channel 9
Afghanistan: Lemar TV
Malaysia: Measat
MENA/UAE: BeIN Sport
Hong Kong: Now TV
Singapore: SingTel
New Zealand: Sky Sport
Papua New Guinea: EMTV
Royal Challengers Bangalore squad: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Harshal Patel, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pavan Deshpande, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Suyesh Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, George Garton
Punjab Kings squad: KL Rahul (c), Chris Gayle (withdrew October 1), Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid, Aiden Markram
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Dan Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Punjab Kings: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Fabian Allen, Nathan Ellis, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi
Our coverage of the IPL is brought to you in association with Dafabet India. For more on Dafabet and to place a bet, click here
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.