IPL 2023 match preview: Punjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore

Key match-ups, analysis, form, team news, weather forecast, tickets, TV and streaming information, odds, predictions and more ahead of the latest encounter in the 2023 IPL

What's the match?

Punjab Kings take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2023 Indian Premier League.

When is it taking place?

The match is scheduled to start at 3.30pm local time (11am BST) on Thursday, April 20.

Where is the match being played?

The match will be played at the Mohali Stadium in Punjab.

Who's got form?

Punjab Kings will be looking to back up their hard-fought victory over Lucknow Super Giants with another win. The Kings chased down 160 with only two wickets and three balls to spare, with Sikandar Raza's 57 (41) proving crucial. Sam Curran showed his expertise with the ball, picking up three late wickets. A victory on Thursday would take them to eight points, with four wins from six matches.

RCB are having a mixed season, winning just two of their five matches and sitting in eighth place with four points. They head into this fixture off the back of a narrow loss against CSK, losing by eight runs as they attempted to chase 227. Glenn Maxwell led their charge with a violent 76 off 36 balls but he couldn't inspire his side to victory.

^{Glenn Maxwell [Manjunath Kiran/Getty Images]}

What's the team news?

Punjab Kings haven't been able to call upon Liam Livingstone yet while Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa also missed the previous game due to injury. If fit, all three should return.

For RCB, Wanindu Hasaranga hasn't looked in good touch while Wayne Parnell has been effective in patches. With Josh Hazlewood still not available, Siraj will hold the key for them.

What's the key matchup?

The PCA Stadium in Mohali is one of the highest scoring venues in the IPL. The average first innings score from 16 IPL matches played here since 2017 is 170.

With batting being key to this game, RCB's Virat Kohli will be looking to lead from the front. The India international has been in sensational form at the tournament so far. One of the front runners for the orange cap, Kohli would be expected to put in yet another magnificent showing in Mohali. With 220 runs in five games so far, Kohli's performances could prove to be crucial for Bangalore.

Hoping to stop Kohli and co is England international Curran. The 24-year-old took three wickets and conceded 31 in the four overs he bowled in Punjab's previous outing. The Kings will depend on Curran's services with the ball to help dismantle RCB's batting line-up.

Head-to-head record 

Matches played: 30

Punjab Kings wins: 17

Royal Challengers Bangalore wins: 13

What's the weather forecast?

The weather in Mohali is expected to be mostly cloudy on Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are set to hover around 30 degrees Celsius.

^{Sam Curran [Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images]}

What are the squads?

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Jonny Bairstow (injured, replaced by Matt Short), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa (injured, replaced by Gurnoor Singh Brar), Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Suyash Prabhudessai, Rajat Patidar (injured, Vijaykumar Vyshak), Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, Finn Allen, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, David Willey, Karn Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood, Siddarth Kaul, Akash Deep, Reece Topley (injured, replaced by Wayne Parnell), Himanshu Sharma, Will Jacks (injured, replaced by Michael Bracewell), Manoj Bhandage, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, R Sonu Yadav

What are the possible starting XIs?

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Matt Short, Harpreet Singh, Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Wayne Parnell, Mohammed Siraj, Vijaykumar Vyshak

What are the odds?

The bookmakers have RCB as favourites, with odds of 5/6, while Punjab Kings are available at 1/1.

Prediction?

With this ground known for its high-scoring run chases, a very competitive match beckons. RCB's batting line-up should be too strong for Punjab Kings, boasting Kohli, Maxwell and Faf du Plessis among others. RCB to edge this clash.

Where can I watch the game?

In the UK, Sky Sports have exclusive rights to this year's tournament, with matches available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket.

Fans in India can watch all the action on Star Sports.

Elsewhere in the world, viewers in Australia can watch the IPL on Fox Sports while in New Zealand, Sky Sport will provide coverage.

Willow TV and Flow Sports will broadcast the tournament in the United States and the Caribbean, respectively.

Fans in MENA can catch the action on beIN Sports while in South Africa, SuperSport have the rights.

If you are watching from the Middle East, you'll be able to view the game on Times Internet.

People from Bangladesh can watch the game on Gazi TV.