IPL 2018, RCB vs KXIP: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) probable playing XI against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)

After lowering the curtains on Delhi's chances to progress to the playoffs, Virat Kohli and co. might be feeling a bit more positive about their own chances of making it to the final 4. Even though they had a good game against DD, several issues continued to crop up for the franchise, such as the bowling at the death.

Meanwhile, it has been a tale of contrasting halves for Kings XI Punjab. Before their one-week break, R. Ashwin's team had registered 10 points from seven games (five wins and two losses), but their form has plummetted since then - having secured just one win while suffering three losses. They are still not in the danger zone just yet, but a loss against RCB will see them competing with a host of other teams for a place in the playoffs.

In what promises to be a lip-smacking contest between the two teams, the concern for RCB would be the death bowling and the ability to chase challenging scores on pitches that are slightly tougher for batting.

The Royal Challengers need to keep winning to entertain any hopes of making it to the playoffs and Kohli might reckon that he has found the winning formula. Here's how the RCB line-up could look like, against Punjab:

Parthiv Patel has had a good couple of games. In the game against CSK, he top-scored with 53. He then got RCB off to a good start in the next game as well where he struck a 13-ball 20. In the last game against DD, he could manage only a solitary boundary in his 8-ball stint at the crease, before being trapped plumb in front of the wicket to newcomer Sandeep Lamichhane for just 6 runs. However, Indore's batting pitch should favour Parthiv and hence, on the back of his good record on such pitches, the Gujarat wicket-keeper should retain his place in the side.

Moeen Ali, who has provided many wonderful moments for his national side England, has surprisingly made very limited appearances for RCB so far. Ali though has finally started proving his worth. Also a part-time spinner, his economical overs would mean a lot in the middle overs.

Virat Kohli at one-down and AB de Villiers at two-down are basically no-brainers. Arguably two of the best batsmen in the game right now, and the best batsmen for RCB this season, the two would walk into any squad. The fact that both of them were in good touch in the last game against Delhi comes as a relief to the Bangalore camp, as it could facilitate the addition of one more bowler into the team instead of an extra batsman.

Mandeep Singh, who was the rising star of the 2012 edition of the IPL, continues to deliver consistent performances for his franchise. A decent pick in the middle-order, his past records are enough for him to bag a spot in the RCB middle order. He’s done quite well at the death and has more often than not helped RCB finish well, even in the absence of Virat and AB on some occasions. The Punjab right-hander should continue to play the role of the finisher.

Sarfaraz Khan, the 20-year old, is best known for his explosive batting and ability to help his side gain momentum in the slog overs. Sarfaraz, however, has had a dismal season in the IPL this year, and was dropped for a few games before being picked again for the previous game against DD, where he scored 11 off 8 and ensured that RCB didn't fall short of the target. Provided he gets a chance, Sarfaraz should look to play a bigger innings in this game.

Colin de Grandhomme bowled a single over in the last game where he went for 12 runs. This shouldn't deter the RCB management from picking him though and Colin should retain his spot in the squad over Chris Woakes. The Kiwi has maintained a decent death-overs' economy of just over 7.5 per over, and could be one of Virat's key bowlers at the fag end of Punjab's innings.

Tim Southee has always been an exceptional bowler and also a remarkable fielder. His exploits at the death have ensured RCB have remained in the competition, and he will be looking to continue his efforts for the side.

Mohammed Siraj has been impressive of late after a poor start to the season. The 24-year-old has taken 8 wickets in the last five games, including a 3-fer. He will most likely be the third seamer in the RCB bowling attack.

Umesh Yadav has been one of the best fast bowlers this IPL. He’s bowled quickly with good control over his line and length, and has picked up 14 wickets in 11 outings in this year’s IPL. He’s given RCB plenty of early breakthroughs in previous matches. Virat Kohli has largely bowled him out before the death as he tends to go for a lot of runs at the back end. He will be looking to lead the RCB attack in this important encounter against Punjab.

Yuzvendra Chahal has looked a bit off-color this year. He’s managed to pick up only 10 wickets in 11 games this season. Chahal has given Kohli some control in the middle-overs (and the powerplay), but his lack of wickets have posed a problem, with RCB's other bowlers unable to control the flow of runs. He has shown signs of a comeback with figures of 4-0-28-2 against Delhi where he captured two early scalps. Chahal will be hoping to deliver for Bangalore in the upcoming fixtures.

After two relatively low-scoring games, Indore laid out a batting beauty last Saturday with both teams - KKR and KXIP - scoring over 200. The combined total for the game was 459 - the second-most in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match. If the wicket stays true to its reputation, we can expect yet another high-scoring affair between two teams who have some of the most explosive batsmen in the world.

KXIP vs RCB Live Score