PBKS vs RCB Prediction: Kohli can lead RCB into fourth final

Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru face off (15:00, Sky Sports Cricket) in this Indian Premier League qualifier after finishing first and second respectively in the regular season. 

Neither team has ever won this competition so it is a massive clash for both teams as they look to progress to the final and break their IPL duck.

The loser will get a second chance of reaching the final as they will face the winner of the eliminator.

Team news

Punjab Kings have a number of absences to contend with, most notably Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mitchell Owen. Yuzvendra Chahal is expected to have recovered from a finger injury to feature though.

For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi have departed to be replaced by Tim Seifert and Nuwan Thushara. Tim David is a doubt but Josh Hazlewood is expected to return from an injury lay-off to feature.

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Odds

The odds compilers are struggling to split these two teams, with the pair both available at 10/11 to get the win and book their place in the final.

Shreyas Iyer is 14/5 favourite to be the Kings’ top batter, while Virat Kohli is the 2/1 market leader to do likewise for the Royal Challengers.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru @ 10/11

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been the nearly men so often before in the Indian Premier League, with their tally of 10 play-off appearances bettered only by Chennai Super Kings (12) and Mumbai Indians (11), while they have finished as runners-up three times.

RCB will be hoping that this is the year that they turn that around as they take on Punjab Kings in this play-off game.

Cricket Odds

The two teams met at this ground a month ago and RCB ran out comfortable winners, meaning that they have won four of the last five head-to-heads.

Bengaluru bat incredibly deep, demonstrated by the fact that they set an IPL record this season with 10 separate players making half-centuries.

Their bowling attack has also been dealt a massive boost by the return of Josh Hazlewood to the lineup, he took nine wickets in four games before his injury.

Side with the away team to win this and progress.

Virat Kohli - Royal Challengers Bengaluru top batter @ 2/1

Virat Kohli has been integral to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s fortunes since their inception in 2008 and he has proven that again this year.

The star man has already scored eight half-centuries in 13 innings this season, and RCB have won all of those games in which he has passed 50.

Since top-scoring with an unbeaten 73 in the last game between these two, Kohli has rattled off scores of 70, 51, 62, 43 and 54 so take him to step up once again for his team when they need him the most.

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