Punjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore: IPL 2022 match preview

The Cricketer takes a look at the next fixtures in the 2022 Indian Premier League season

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What's the match?

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

When is it taking place?

The game will be played on Sunday, March 27. The first ball will be bowled at 7.30pm local time (3pm BST).

Where is the match being played?

The game will be held at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.

Who's got the form?

It's the first game of the campaign for both these sides so, whatever happens, there won't be too much worth reading into.

Nevertheless, Punjab finished sixth last year but recruited well at the mega-auction, while RCB are at the start of a new era following Virat Kohli's resignation as captain. They finished third in last year's standings, only to lose out in the Eliminator to Kolkata Knight Riders in a defeat that ended their season.

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Faf du Plessis is RCB's new captain (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)

What's the key match-up?

It's a big day for RCB, with Faf du Plessis at the helm and Virat Kohli back in the ranks without the captaincy. In Punjab, the South African begins with a stern test, even if Mayank Agarwal's side are without Jonny Bairstow, who will at some stage slot into an already stacked batting line-up.

Du Plessis will have to contend with the power of Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone, with Odean Smith floating at the back end of the innings as an additional six-hitter.

It makes this a good time to play Bangalore, who face their own absentees too: Glenn Maxwell and Josh Hazlewood are due to miss the tournament opening.

Head-to-head record 

Matches played: 28

Punjab Kings wins: 15

Royal Challengers Bangalore wins: 13

What's the weather forecast?

Sunny and warm, with temperatures around 33 degrees Celsius at the scheduled start of play.

What are the squads?

Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Porel, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Prerak Mankad, Vaibhav Arora, Writtick Chatterjee, Baltej Dhanda, Ansh Patel, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, Shahbaz Ahamad, Akash Deep, Josh Hazlewood, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudessai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Luvnith Sisodia, David Willey

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Liam Livingstone is part of Punjab Kings' squad (Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images)

What are the possible starting XIs?

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Odean Smith, Nathan Ellis, Sandeep Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis, Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Sherfane Rutherford, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj

What are the odds?

Punjab Kings are available at 11/10, with odds on a Royal Challengers Bangalore victory going at 11/13.

What's the prediction?

Despite big-name absentees, RCB will still fancy their chances against Punjab Kings' seemingly lightweight bowling attack.

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 of 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.

The IPL can also be streamed on Disney+ and Hotstar in certain areas.

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