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The 27th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see Punjab Kings (PBKS) lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday, April 20.
Both teams have struggled for consistency this season. While PBKS have won three out of their five matches, RCB have managed just two wins in five. Both sides are in the bottom half of the points table and will hope to move up in the standings to keep themselves in the fray for a playoff berth.
PBKS are coming into the game on the back of a victory against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The bowlers did exceedingly well to restrict Lucknow to 159 runs before chasing it down. Sikandar Raza scored a timely half-century before Shahrukh Khan scored an unbeaten 23 off 10 balls to take the team home.
RCB, on the other hand, went down against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their previous fixture. They fell eight runs short while chasing 227 runs. Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell fired with the bat but lacked support from the middle order to suffer their third defeat of the season.
Batters will be in the spotlight at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium as both sides look to secure a win. Batting has not been an easy job at the venue and batters will have to spend time in the middle before unleashing their shots.
On that note, let's take a look at the three players who will score the most runs in today's PBKS vs RCB tie.
#1 Faf du Plessis - RCB
The RCB skipper has been one of the most consistent batters in IPL history and this year has been no different. Although Bangalore have blown hot and cold so far in the tournament, Faf du Plessis has been in tremendous form with the bat.
He is currently the highest run-scorer in IPL 2023, amassing 259 runs in five games at an average of 64.75 and a strike rate of over 172. Du Plessis played a superb 62-run knock against Punjab, albeit in a losing cause.
Given the form he is in at the moment, expect the former South African skipper to play another big knock on Thursday.
#2 Matthew Short - PBKS
Matthew Short joined PBKS as Jonny Bairstow's replacement for ₹20 lakh and had big shoes to fill. He has played a couple of cameos so far in IPL 2023 but is yet to realize his full potential.
However, the right-handed batter has already proved that he has the game to be successful in India. He can play shots all-round the park and is also good against spin.
Short has failed to convert his starts so far and Thursday might be the day he takes his game to a different level against a struggling RCB bowling attack.
#3 Virat Kohli - RCB
The former RCB skipper joined the squad on the back of an excellent outing in international cricket over the last few months. He made his intentions clear in the first game against Mumbai Indians (MI), scoring an unbeaten 82.
Virat Kohli has played an aggressive brand of cricket in IPL 2023 and has looked confident whenever he has come out to bat.
The right-handed batter was unlucky to get out in an unusual manner against Chennai and will look to make amends today. If Kohli gets his eyes in, expect him to play a big knock against PBKS.
