Top five player battles to watch out for in PBKS vs RR match No. 27 in IPL 2024

Match No. 27 of the IPL 2024 will host a PBKS vs RR clash in Mullanpur on Saturday.

The next game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will feature two teams that have started this season in a contrasting way. Rajasthan Royals (RR) are at the top of the table with 8 points. They are looking very good to become the first team to make it through the next round, but there is still a long way to go.

However, Punjab Kings have been a bit rusty. They have two wins under their belts in five matches and need to get back to winning ways. These two teams will face off in the coming game on Saturday in Chandigarh. 

PBKS vs RR: Head-to-Head

The head-to-head competition favours Rajasthan Royals, as they have won 15 out of 26 games played between the two, while Punjab Kings have 11 wins under their belt. RR have also won five out of seven games played between the two teams.

PBKS vs RR: Top five player battles to watch

1. Shikhar Dhawan & Jonny Bairstow vs Trent Boult

Trent Boult will be the biggest threat with the new ball for PBKS. He has taken the most wickets in the first over in the IPL. He will be up against Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow and has great numbers against these batters. Boult has dismissed Dhawan 9 times in international cricket and once in the IPL. Meanwhile, he has dismissed Bairstow 11 times in international cricket and once in the IPL. So this will be a big battle in the game.

2. Jos Buttler vs Kagiso Rabada

Another big battle will be between Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada. Both players are very important for their teams, and a lot will depend on how they give their team the start. These two have also come up against each other in international cricket many times. Rabada has dismissed Buttler four times at the international level, while he has dismissed the English star twice in the IPL as well.

3. Sanju Samson vs Sam Curran

Sanju Samson has been in great form this season, and he is among the top scorers in the IPL 2024. He has scored 245 runs at a strike rate of 157.80 and struck a brilliant fifty in the last match. However, he will be up against Sam Curran, who has great numbers against him. Curran has bowled 30 balls to him and conceded 39 runs, but has dismissed the RR skipper twice in the IPL. This will be an important battle in the middle overs.

4. Riyan Parag vs Harshal Patel

Riyan Parag is another RR batter who has been unstoppable this season, and he has shown great maturity and is currently second on the list of the top scorers in the IPL 2024. Parag has scored 261 runs at an average of 87 and a strike rate of 158.18 with three fifties. PBKS needs to find someone who has gotten the better of him, and Harshal Patel has a great record. The pacer has dismissed him three times in the IPL in just 20 balls but conceded 37 runs off 20 balls.

5. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Arshdeep Singh

Yashasvi Jaiswal has not been scoring runs this season and is getting out early within the powerplay. That will be on his mind, and he will look to give his team a good start. But it will be even harder for him because he will be against Arshdeep Singh, who has played with and against him. These two know each other well. Arshdeep also has a good record against him. The left-arm pacer has dismissed Jaiswal twice in the IPL in 15 balls and given 15 runs only.

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