Why is Ravichandran Ashwin not playing tonight's IPL 2023 match vs PBKS?

Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin will not feature in their critical encounter against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala on Friday, May 19.

RR skipper Sanju Samson confirmed the news of the veteran off-spinner missing out on the game due to a back spasm during the toss.

"We will bowl," Samson said. "Looking at the dimensions and looking as to what we require in the tournament, it is better to bowl. We need to win the game. Then see how the other games go."

"If you want to play good T20 cricket, you need to forget things," he added. "We have had four to five days off. One has to understand the conditions. We have couple of changes. Last-minute changes. Ashwin misses out because of a back spasm."

Ravichandran Ashwin's absence will be a significant loss for the Royals considering the balance the 36-year-old provides with his bowling and lower-order batting.

Ashwin also boasts an impressive record against PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan, having dismissed him four times in the IPL, with the southpaw averaging just 23 against him at a strike rate of 84.40.

The wily off-spinner has been in good form this season, bagging 14 wickets at an average of 26.29 and an economy rate of 7.51 runs per over.

RR have been on a downward slide since winning four of their first five games and are currently at 12 points in 13 games.

They will need to defeat PBKS by a substantial margin and hope several other results go their way to qualify for the playoffs.

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"Want to win tonight, that's the focus at the moment" - Yuzvendra Chahal ahead of RR's crucial game against PBKS

Rajasthan Royals leg-break bowler Yuzvendra Chahal spoke about bowling the right length as the key to achieving success in Dharamsala ahead of the must-win clash against PBKS.

Chahal has had another outstanding season with the ball, picking up 21 wickets in 13 games at an average of 18.67 and an economy rate of 8.03 runs per over.

"Last time I played here was against Sri Lanka, and the temperature was around 10 degrees celsius," Chahal said. "It's a good challenging ground for the bowlers, so it will be interesting to bowl on this wicket. Length is key as it's a small ground, just want to focus on not giving away easy boundaries."

Earlier this season, Chahal became the all-time leading wicket-taker in IPL history when he overtook Dwayne Bravo. He has picked up 187 wickets in 144 games with six four-wicket hauls and a five-wicket haul in his illustrious IPL career.