IPL 2022: "Hope Punjab dominates Rajasthan, will need to get rid of Buttler soon"

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has a soft corner for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) as he hails from the state himself. As PBKS face a tough IPL 2022 encounter against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) today, Harbhajan is hopeful that Punjab will bring their A-game to the table.

Speaking to Sportskeeda on the show 'SK Match ki Baat', Harbhajan Singh explained why Punjab need to bat well, especially against a potent RR bowling attack.

The 41-year-old also feels PBKS will need to get the wicket of the dangerous Jos Buttler as early as possible. He said:

"I hope Punjab dominates Rajasthan today. They have a very good team but their season has been up and down. They have batted brilliantly but at times have also been bowled out for low scores around 100-130. If they want to win against Rajasthan, they will need to get rid of Jos Buttler soon. When you defeat the favourites, your confidence increases automatically."

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Important to back your players: Harbhajan Singh on RR's chopping and changing

RR had a difficult last week as they lost to both Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders and are in danger of finishing outside the top-two spots.

They have made a bit too many changes in the middle-order, shuffling the likes of Daryl Mitchell, Karun Nair, Rassie van der Dussen and James Neesham without giving any of them a consistent run of games.

Harbhajan Singh believes RR need to stick to what worked for them in the first half of the season. The 41-year-old feels if the Royals back their players, they can get back to winning ways. He stated:

"You look for changes when you don't get desired results from some players. However, these are the same players that won you so many games so it is important that you back them. If they have brought you till here, they will definitely take you ahead."

Both PBKS and RR batting units have been inconsistent at times. Perhaps that's why it will be interesting to see whether this fixture delivers a high-scoring game.