3 players from PBKS vs RR match who once played for the opposite franchise

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a must-win encounter for both franchises on Friday, May 19.

While RR are sixth, PBKS are languishing in eighth place in the points table. Both teams will look to win by a big margin here and hope that both MI and RCB lose their final league games to have a chance of getting into the playoffs.

Both sides have won six out of 13 matches so far in the season. However, while RR have a decent Net Run-Rate (NRR) of +0.140, PBKS have a lot of work to do in that regard, with a NRR of - 0.308.

Additionally, if any of these sides are to get into the playoffs on 14 points, they will have to beat the NRR of both RCB and MI which is +0.180 and - 0.128, respectively.

The match will be played at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala and promises to be another high-scoring encounter. With swashbuckling batters such as Jos Butler, Sanju Samson, Liam Livingstone, Prabhsimran Singh, etc. on both sides, we are almost certain to witness another run-feast tonight.

Another element of interest in today's game is the fact that several players from both sides used to play for the opposing franchise in the earlier editions of the competition. On that note, let us take a look at three players from the PBKS vs RR match that used to play for the opposing side.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin (RR)

Ravichandran Ashwin is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the competition's history. Over the years, he has played for several franchises such as the Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and now, the Rajasthan Royals.

Ashwin played for PBKS between 2018 and 2019 and also served as the captain of the franchise. In 28 matches, he took 25 wickets and scored 144 runs while leading the side to 12 wins. Ashwin was picked by RR before IPL 2022 and played a major role in their entry to the final last year.

He has formed a formidable partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal, helping RR control the game in the middle overs. In 13 matches this year, he has picked up 14 wickets at a miserly economy rate of 7.51.

#2 Liam Livingstone (PBKS)

Liam Livingstone made his IPL debut for RR in IPL 2019 and was again picked by the franchise for a whopping sum of ₹11.50 crores before IPL 2021. In nine matches for the franchise, he had scored just 112 runs. The Englishman was released by RR before IPL 2022 and was picked by the PBKS.

After joining PBKS, Livingston has realized his full potential. In 14 matches last year, he scored 437 runs for the franchise at an average of 36.42 and a strike rate of 182.08.

He has also looked in excellent touch this season, scoring 270 runs in eight innings at an average of 38.57 and a strike rate of 170.89. Following his heroics in a losing effort in the last match, Liam Livingstone will be looking to go one step further and take his side to victory tonight.

#3 Sandeep Sharma (RR)

Sandeep Sharma was roped in by RR as a replacement for the injured Prasidh Krishna.

Over the years, Sandeep Sharma has proven to be one of the most reliable pacers in the competition. He made his debut for PBKS in IPL 2013 and continued to play for the franchise till 2017. Sandeep had five fruitful seasons with PBKS picking up 71 wickets for the franchise in just 57 matches.

He has picked up 10 wickets in 11 games for RR this year at a decent economy rate of 8.33, considering he bowls in the Powerplay and in the death overs. Sharma will be looking to put in another fine performance tonight.

Can you think of any other players from the PBKS vs RR match who once played for the opposite franchise? Let us know in the comments section below.