The RCB vs PBKS IPL 2024 match 6 will be played in Bengaluru on March 25, Monday. The match starts at 7.30 pm IST. This is the first of the three home games for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first half of the schedule that has been announced. 

RCB are heading into this game after losing their opener against CSK. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, managed to win the northern derby against Delhi Capitals by four wickets as they chased down 175 at the new stadium in Mullanpur. 

Team Analysis

Royal Challengers Bangalore 

The batters in the first game managed to get the target beyond 170 at the Chepauk. However, the bowlers leaked runs as Chennai Super Kings managed to chase down the score. The weakness in the RCB bowling lineup was exposed in the very first game by Chennai Super Kings. Playing at home now they have to address the issue.

They play three games at home and thus will need to sort out their bowling combination. While RCB has always been a good batting side, they have always found it hard to play with the right bowling combination. At one point they had Yuzvendra Chahal, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, and Josh Hazlewood in their ranks. 

Punjab Kings 

They had a reasonably good outing with the ball. The Kings’ bowlers took wickets at regular intervals of the Capitals and managed to restrict the opposition to a reasonable total. Barring the 24-run over from Harshal Patel against Abishek Poel, the Punjab bowlers had things under control.

With the bat, Sam Curran finally stood up and scored his third fifty for the Kings as he anchored the chase. All in all, it was a good outing and the team needs to build from here on. A favorable head-to-head record against RCB might give the visitors confidence at the Chinnaswamy. 

Key Factors 

Pitch Conditions 

The Chinnaswamy stadium historically has been a batting-friendly wicket over the years and it has stayed true to its nature. The ball comes onto the bat quickly and makes strokeplay easier. Scores of over 200 have been regularly posted and chased down. This is amongst the best six-hitting venues in the IPL. Also, this is a chasing ground. It will be interesting to see what kind of pitch is prepared for the first game. 

Form and Fitness 

There are no injury concerns from both teams. There were no casualties in both their games as the players looked decently fit and fine. Form wise the form of Virat Kohli will be key especially with the the T20 World Cup coming up. There have been reports that BCCI is unwilling to consider him for the ICC event. However, a good IPL season might make them think otherwise. He scored 20 off 21 balls against CSK. 

Score Prediction

Tactical Acumen

For both captains Shikhar Dhawan and Faf du Plessis, limiting the damage at the Chinnaswamy stadium is the biggest concern. The ball travels long and far at the venue and thus the bowlers from both teams need to bowl at a tight line and length. 

Recent Venue Records (Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru)

IPL Matches Played 88

Matches Won Batting First 37 

Matches Won Batting Second 47 

Matches Won Winning Toss 47 

Matches Won Losing Toss 37 

Matches with No Result 4 

Average 1st Inns scores 141

Average 2nd Inns scores 136

Who Will Score Most Runs For RCB: Virat Kohli /Faf du Plessis

Who Will Take Most Wickets For RCB: Karn Sharma / Mohd Siraj

Who Will Score Most Runs For PBKS: Shikhar Dhawan / Sam Curran 

Who Will Take Most Wickets For PBKS: Arshdeep Singh / Harshal Patel 

RCB vs PBKS Match Prediction- Who Will Win Today’s IPL Match? IPL 2024, Match 6

Punjab have won five games at the Chinnaswamy while RCB has six. Both teams have a pretty even record at the venue and thus choosing an outright winner will be difficult. This is the first match between the two teams at the venue since IPL 2019.

Conclusion 

Overall, in 31 games between the two sides Punjab Kings have won 17 games while RCB 14. The Bangalore franchise would like to make use of their home advantage to win the contest.

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