3 player battles to watch out for in PBKS vs RCB, Match 58 of IPL 2024 ft. Virat Kohli vs Arshdeep Singh 

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play their final home game of their 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign when they host the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Dharamshala on Thursday, May 9. Both teams have made a late surge in the season but are on the brink of elimination.

PBKS' momentum on the back of their record chase was squashed with a tame loss to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the picturesque venue.

RCB, on the other hand, are on the rise after a dismal first half of the campaign. They still somewhat have a chance of qualifying if they win their games in hand and other results go in their favor. Their winning run started with a win over the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and extended to a double over the Gujarat Titans (GT).

RCB came out as victors when they last faced PBKS in the reverse fixture in Bengaluru, as well as their meeting in the 2023 edition. However, in their lone IPL outing in Dharamshala, the three-time finalists suffered a 111-run defeat after conceding 232 runs against the Adam Gilchrist-led Punjab side.

On that note, let us take a look at three player battles to watch out for in the PBKS vs RCB clash in IPL 2024.

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#1 Virat Kohli vs Arshdeep Singh

Orange Cap holder Virat Kohli will be keen on maintaining his form (and 'strike rate', of course) in the intense battle against the people in the box. It was the ace batter who had scored a fifty to steer RCB to victory against PBKS the last time around.

Kohli's aggression, particularly in the powerplay, will be met with Arshdeep Singh with the new ball. The left-arm pacer has not been functioning at the peak of his powers, but has managed to pick up 15 wickets and is in the reckoning for the Purple Cap.

He had a dismal outing against RCB earlier this season, conceding 40 runs off 3.2 overs, and his overall economy for the season is also over 10 runs per over.

In terms of their head-to-head record on the field across six outings, Kohli has had the upper hand, scoring 56 runs off 30 deliveries at a strike rate of 186 without being dismissed even once.

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#2 Faf du Plessis vs Kagiso Rabada

At the other end, the battle of the Proteas aces will also prove to be defining. Kagiso Rabada has had a good couple of matches and enjoyed himself bowling in Dharamshala with the pace and bounce the surface offered. Overall, he has picked up 11 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 8.86.

The right-arm pacer will be up against his former national skipper, who finally has some momentum under his belt. After a bleak first half of the IPL season, du Plessis now has three fifties in his last six innings, including a blistering 64 off 23 deliveries in his most recent outing.

In nine outings against each other in the shortest format, Rabada has managed to dismiss the opening batter on four occasions. Du Plessis has scored 66 runs off 47 deliveries at a strike rate of 140.42. Furthermore, it was Rabada who dismissed Du Plessis in the reverse fixture for just three runs off seven deliveries.

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#3 Prabhsimran Singh vs Mohammed Siraj

Prabhsimran SIngh's handy knocks up the order have been a common feature in PBKS' matches of late. The right-handed batter has dominated new ball bowlers but will meet his match in the form of a resurgent Mohammed Siraj.

The right-arm pacer has turned his form around midway through the campaign and has played a huge role in RCB's revival, with crucial spells in their recent string of wins. He is making the new ball talk and will be on the lookout to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh early to expose PBKS' shaky middle order.

The pair have come up against each other on three occasions, with Prabhsimran scoring 10 runs off eight deliveries against Siraj. The opening batter will no doubt look to take on the new ball attack from the word go, which is what Siraj would prefer as it would give him a chance to strike early.