KXIP vs RR: Match preview, head-to-head records and pitch report
What's the story
The competition in IPL 2019 continues to get tougher as the tournament is halfway through. The match number 32 would witness a clash between Kings XI Punjab and former champions Rajasthan Royals at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday. With the previous leg of this tie marred by the 'Mankading' controversy, it would be interesting to see how things pan out, this time.
Latest story
Punjab humbled by Bangalore, Rajasthan triumph Mumbai
Punjab are coming off a loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore, as the latter registered their first win of the tournament in seven matches. Meanwhile, Rajasthan earned a much-needed win against Mumbai Indians to keep their play-off qualification hopes alive. Currently, Punjab are fifth on the table with four wins, while Rajasthan are on the seventh spot with two victories in seven matches.
Team news
Chris Gayle, Jos Buttler among men to watch out for
As far as the players are concerned, Punjab's hard-hitting opener Chris Gayle smashed an unbeaten 99 in the previous tie. He would look to do the same at home once again, making him the top favorite. For Rajasthan, all eyes would, once again, be on opener Jos Buttler. He has been in prolific form since the start, and is being backed to fire again.
Head-to-head
Rajasthan have mild edge over Punjab
Considering the head-to-head encounters between these two, Rajasthan have an upper hand. In 18 IPL matches to date, Rajasthan have won 10, while Punjab have eight wins. Out of 15 matches in India, nine have been won by Rajasthan, while Punjab have won six. Six matches have been played in Mohali, it has been three apiece. The last tie saw Punjab clinching the match.
Pitch report
A sporty wicket awaits in Mohali
While Mohali is usually known to assist batsman, this year's tournament has seen the venue present a sporty track. It suits both batsmen as well as the bowlers. Of the four matches so far, only two matches have been high-scoring, while the other two have witnessed average scores being posted. We expect another thriller tonight, with team winning the toss likely to field first.
Predicted XI
Here's the predicted Playing XI
KXIP: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Mohammed Shami, Murugan Ashwin. RR: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Rahul Tripathi, Liam Livingstone, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni. Dream XI: Rahul, Mayank, Sarfaraz, Rahane, Smith, Buttler, Ashwin, Curran, Shami, Gopal, Archer.
Match details
When, where and how to watch
Match: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR). Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Time: 8 PM (IST). Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1, 2, Select 1 and other regional channels of Star Sports. Where to watch (Online): Hotstar.