What

Kings XI Punjab will play their final home match of VIVO IPL 2018 when they host Royal Challengers Bangalore in Match 48.

A fortnight into the season, Kings XI Punjab were placed on top of the table with five wins from six matches. However, since then, their fortunes have headed southwards; KXIP have posted only one win in their next five matches, and hence find themselves locked in a survival race. In their most recent outing, KXIP were blown away by the Kolkata Knight Riders, who posted 245-6 – the highest total of the season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore are part of the survival race too; the Virat Kohli-led side are currently placed seventh in the eight-team table, and come into this match at the back of a resounding win over the Delhi Daredevils on Saturday night. Virat Kohli’s team has not won two consecutive matches this season, and this is the time for them to set right that trend; RCB cannot afford one more loss, and they need to win this to stay in contention for a playoff spot. In the context of the tournament, RCB have played the perfect match – or had the complete performance – only once in the tournament; it is now time to get all departments firing in unison.

When

14 May 2018, 2000Hrs (IST)

Where

Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

Impact Batsmen

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle make the engine room components of KXIP.The opening pair has seen the team off to solid starts regularly; they have been involved in six fifty-plus opening partnerships in the eight innings they’ve opened together. Rahul has taken his batting to another higher level; there is consistency, a certain elegance and class in the way he scores his runs, and sound temperament on display. The 26-year old has scored half-centuries in his last three innings, and looks to be batting the best he has in the IPL.

For RCB, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers form the nucleus of the batting line-up. The previous match against the Delhi Daredevils was the first time this season both batsmen scored half-centuries in the same match, and not surprisingly RCB ended up victorious. In this high-stakes contest, RCB need them to once again come to the party – and be at their destructive best.

Impact Bowlers

The two bowlers in the KXIP line-up who pose the biggest threat to the RCB batsmen are Andrew Tye and Mujeeb ur Rahman. While Tye is the current holder of the Purple Cap – with a tally of 20 wickets, Mujeeb has 14 wickets, and an outstanding economy of 6.99. Mujeeb delivered perhaps the ball of the season to dismiss Virat Kohli the last time these two teams met; that duel will be interesting to watch.

Only two bowlers – Umesh Yadav and YuzvendraChahal – have played in all eleven of RCB’s matches this season; the former is the team’s top wicket-taker – with 14 scalps, and the latter is among the team’s more economical bowlers.

Team Head to Head

Overall: Matches – 21, Kings XI Punjab won – 12, Royal Challengers Bangalore won – 9

When these two teams met earlier this season, Royal Challengers got the better of Kings XI, winning by 4 wickets in Bengaluru. AB de Villiers powered RCB’s pursuit of 156 with a 40-ball 57; he was well-supported by Quinton de Kock, who made 45 at the top of the batting line-up.

Trivia

Kings XI Punjab have had 12 partnerships of 50 or more this season; KL Rahul has been involved in 10 of them.

Andrew Tye has had a lot of success in the death overs; he has picked up 12 wickets while bowling in the last five overs, and has an economy rate of 8.05 in that period.

A total of 60 sixes and 88 fours have been hit in the three VIVO IPL 2018 matches played in Indore. Overall, 63.8% of the runs scored in the three matches have been through boundaries.

What Next

Kings XI Punjab will travel to Mumbai to play their penultimate match of the season; they take on the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on May 16.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s next will be their final home fixture of the season; they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 17.