Indian Premier League 2022 has begun, and the teams are trying to be familiar with the conditions in the four venues across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune as well as to their new team members. Both Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), there are quite a few changes in their core as they are all set to begin their IPL 2022 campaign with Match 3 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Punjab let go K.L. Rahul along with other key players like Mohammed Shami, Nicolas Pooran and Ravi Bishnoi. For Bangalore, on the other hand, A.B. de Villiers retired from all formats of the game. They will also miss Yuzvendra Chahal, the leading wicket-taker in their history and a significant contributor over the last few seasons.
Punjab retained and appointed Mayank Agarwal captain. Agarwal will be joined by Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, and Odean Smith, and – once he is back from the West Indies – Jonny Bairstow. The bowling, already weak, looks quite thin in the temporary absence of Kagiso Rabada . Arshdeep Singh, whom Punjab retained, will spearhead the attack, with Sandeep Sharma and Ishan Porel, and the spinners, Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar.
After Virat Kohli stepped down, Bangalore appointed Faf du Plessis as captain. They will miss Glenn Maxwell for the early matches, and will have to count on Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik instead. The bowling looks very strong, with Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, and – until Josh Hazlewood arrives – David Willey. Joining them will be Wanindu Hasaranga, the leading wicket-taker of last year's T20 World Cup as well as an excellent hitter down the order.
Likely XIs
Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Sherhane Rutherford, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, David Wiley, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj
Fantasy Tips
- Both teams are missing some first-choice overseas players. Among the Indian stars, top-order batters like Agarwal, Dhawan, and Kohli should be popular picks.
- Du Plessis was consistent over the past few seasons, and is a must-have.
- Harshal and Arshdeep will be the key bowlers. Pick Hasaranga and Chahar as well.
Where to watch
Live streaming of Match 3 of IPL 2022 between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will start at 7.30 PM IST on March 27. You can watch the match on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar.