Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play their second match against Punjab Kings today but this time at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh. RCB have had a decent campaign so far but have failed to capitalise on their home advantage as was evident in their last match against PBKS. Meanwhile, PBKS have also been known to spoil the home advantage at Mullanpur in the past, but this new-look Punjab side under Iyer have shown otherwise this season.
Mullanpur pitch report:
The pitch at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium is generally known to favour batsmen with run scores on the cards. Historically, pacers and spinners have been given some help at this venue.
However, the Mullanpur pitch can be a bit of an enigma for teams, as evidenced by the three matches played on the surface this year. While the first two matches saw the batting first team post a total of over 200 runs, the last match between KKR and PBKS saw the home team defend the lowest ever IPL total of 111 runs.
If the last game is anything to go by, the surface could play well throughout the match, with batsmen able to play shots freely. However, the spinners could have an edge on the wicket as they could restrict the run-scoring in the middle overs.
Mullanpur stadium stats:
There have been 8 IPL matches played at this venue, with the team batting first winning 5 and the team batting second winning 3.
The highest total at this venue was made by Punjab Kings (219) against Chennai Super Kings earlier this year. The average first innings total stands at 167.
Dew shouldn’t be an issue today with RCB vs PBKS taking place in the afternoon.
Chandigarh weather report:
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a maximum temperature of 34 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius in Chandigarh today. Weather forecasters are predicting partly cloudy skies in Chandigarh with no rainfall warning.
According to Accuweather, there is a 25% chance of rainfall and 6% chance of thunderstorm in Chandigarh today.
When and where to watch PBKS vs RCB match?
The PBKS vs RCB match will be played from 3:30 pm today with the toss scheduled for 3:00 pm. The match will be telecast on Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.