IPL 2020 Live Score, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, Latest Update: IPL 2020 live score: KXIP win by 8 wickets. SIX! Nicholas Pooran hits a six down the ground - just about clears the field as Yuzvendra Chahal bowls a full toss. It was 1 from 1 and Pooran bails them out. Imagine if they had botched this one up.
Preview
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will clash with Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in match 31 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in Sharjah on the 15th of October.
RCB are at number 3 on the points table with 5 wins from 7 matches while KXIP are at the bottom of the pack with 6 losses from as many matches.
KL Rahul slammed a magnificent unbeaten 132 off just 69 deliveries in Dubai – in the first match between the two sides in IPL 2020. KXIP posted a mammoth 206 for 3 and cleaned up RCB for 109 registering a massive 97-run victory.
The smaller ground at Sharjah could see a huge aggregate in the match – given the number of big-hitters and batting superstars in both the units.
Kings XI Punjab
KXIP need to win almost all their matches to have any chance of making the playoffs – may be this is when they could be at the dangerous best.
After starting the tournament with a bang, they have lost 5 matches on the trot. KXIP gifted away from should have been an easy win against KKR in Abu Dhabi. Chris Gayle is set to play his first match of IPL 2020 against RCB – this is the biggest news from the KXIP camp. They would hope that the Universe Boss can change the fortunes of his franchise.
KL Rahul is still getting the runs but he is not dominating the bowling as before – he is playing the role of the accumulator and anchor and has seen a significant drop in his strike rate. This tactic is proving to be counter-productive for KXIP.
The biggest disappointment for them, however, has been the performance of their star finisher, Glenn Maxwell. The Australian hasn’t got going at all in IPL 2020 – he has just managed to muster 58 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 95.08. He could be dropped to accommodate Gayle.
Mohammed Shami is their leading wicket-taker in the competition with 10 wickets. Chris Jordan could be replaced by James Neesham in the XI.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB have registered comprehensive wins in their last couple of matches and finally seem to be firing on all cylinders in the tournament. The top 4 are in good form. AB continues to be their playmaker in the tournament. He has scored 228 runs in 7 innings which has included three match-winning fifties. What is even more significant is the rate at which he has scored these runs for his franchise – at an incredible strike rate of 185.36. This separates AB from Kohli (strike rate of 127.36) and Padikkal (strike rate of 126.56) and this is what makes his performances unique and dangerous.
Yuzvendra Chahal is their trump card with the ball in the middle overs – he is the highest wicket-taker for RCB in IPL 2020 and has also been very restrictive going at just above 7 an over. Chris Morris has been a good late addition to the unit – he has been amongst the wickets and given nothing away in the two matches he has played in the tournament.
Washington Sundar has been the unsung hero with the ball. He has bowled 22 overs for just 108 runs – an economy rate of just 4.9. It is the best in the tournament (min. 10 overs). He has dried up the runs from one end choking the batsmen in the middle overs.
WHAT: IPL 2020, Match 31
WHEN: October 15 , 7:30PM IST
WHERE: Sharjah
TELECAST: Star Sports Network
LIVE STREAMING: Disney + Hotstar
Predicted XI
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) – Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) – Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh, Mandeep Singh, James Neesham, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
