IPL stats: How the current PBKS batting line-up fared against Rajasthan Royals in the previous IPL editions 

The Punjab franchise renamed themselves Punjab Kings this year in hopes of ending their trophy drought. Last year they had a horrific start to the season as they lost six of their first seven matches. Thereafter, they made a strong comeback by winning five games on the trot but missed out on a playoff berth by losing their last two encounters.

This time around, skipper KL Rahul will hope to avoid last year's situation. Punjab Kings commenced their journey in IPL 2021 with a win against the Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Wankhede, we comin’! 🏟🤩#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPL2021 #RRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/vc3E6eqmgM

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 12, 2021

At this season's auction, the Punjab franchise made some impactful purchases as they procured quality players like Dawid Malan and Jhye Richardson. But they failed to address the primary issue that haunted them throughout last year - the absence of a top all-rounder. James Neesham and Chris Jordan tried to play that role last year, but both failed miserably. This left the Punjab Kings vulnerable in both departments and affected team balance.

Even this season, they are expected to face similar issues due to a lack of options. Their latest recruit Moises Henriques is a decent all-rounder, but one cannot expect him to bowl four quality overs consistently in every match. Due to lack of alternatives, Punjab might again use Chris Jordan in that role with some support from Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan, who can roll their arm over for an over or two if needed.

However, the Punjab Kings have one of the most destructive top orders in the IPL. KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran can all single-handedly destroy the opposition bowling attack and win matches for their team. Rahul was the one who precisely did so yesterday.

Stats of Punjab King's current batsmen against Rajasthan Royals in previous IPL editions

• KL Rahul: IPL Matches - 9 | Runs - 390 | HS - 95* | Average - 55.71 | Strike rate - 125.40 | 50's - 4
• Mayank Agarwal: IPL Matches - 9 | Runs - 270 | HS - 106 | Average - 30 | Strike rate - 162.65 | 100's - 1
• Chris Gayle: IPL Matches - 16 | Runs - 499 | HS - 99 | Average - 35.64 | Strike rate - 134.14 | 50's - 3
• Nicholas Pooran: IPL Matches - 4 | Runs - 64 | HS - 25* | Average - 21.33 | Strike rate - 168.42 | 50's - 0
• Mandeep Singh: IPL Matches - 12 | Runs - 179 | HS - 54* | Average - 22.38 | Strike rate - 137.69 | 50's - 1
• Moises Henriques: IPL Matches - 3 | Runs - 51 | HS - 22 | Average - 17 | Strike rate - 96.23 | 50's - 0

Skipper KL Rahul's form will be critical for his side to have a positive start this year. Management and fans alike will want to see him carry on the way he began yesterday.

Over the last two years, Rahul has been scoring runs consistently but his conservative batting has affected the scoring rate on numerous occasions. The skipper needs to shed his inhibitions and play freely again, much like he did in IPL 2018, and more recently yesterday.

Coming into IPL 2021, Punjab were 9-12 in their career head-to-head against Rajasthan. The latter won both their fixtures last year. Punjab will be looking to do the same this season after they edged out yesterday's match.