IPL 2021: PBKS vs RR head-to-head stats, key players, latest form, and more

The second phase of the IPL 2021 got underway on Sunday with Chennai Super Kings beating Mumbai Indians by 20 runs. On Tuesday the Punjab Kings will take on Rajasthan Royals in match 32 at Dubai International Stadium. Here's a look at PBKS vs RR to head stats, PBKS vs RR key players and other information related to the match.

A slight preview into the match, Punjab Kings lost bowling firepower with Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith opting out of the second half of the IPL however they still have the likes of Nathan Ellis in their team. Rajasthan Royals on the other hand have lost three very important players, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, and Ben Stokes all choosing not to be present at the 2021 IPL.

IPL 2021: PBKS vs RR Head to Head

The two teams have faced each other a total of 22 times with RR holding the upper hand only by a slight margin having beaten PBKS 12 times and PBKS having picked up 10 wins. In the last five matchups, PBKS have won three of them and RR two. In the 2019 IPL, PBKS beat RR in both their encounters, first by 12 runs followed by a 14 run victory the second time. In the 2020 IPL, RR got the better of PBKS in both the encounters winning by seven wickets the first time and then four wickets the second time around. However, the last time these two faced each other, back in April 2021 in Mumbai, Punjab came out victorious by just four runs after a very close last over.

In that match, the Kings set a strong target of 221 after a brilliant batting performance from skipper KL Rahul (91 off 50) and Deepak Hooda (64 off 28). However, the Royals did well to chase the mammoth total and got agonisingly close when they needed 13 runs off the last six balls. Sanju Samson had done well to get them there having scored 119 off 63 balls and he had Chris Morris at the non-striker's end. After two singles in the first three balls, Samson hit Arshdeep Singh for a huge six meaning they needed five runs off the last two balls, Samson then refused to take a single and they need five off one to win. He went for the big one but the ball landed straight into the hands of Hooda and Punjab won the match by four runs.

PBKS vs RR Team News

PBKS will not have Jhye Richardson, Dawid Malan, and Riley Meredith who opted out of the second half of the IPL 2021. However, they did manage to replace them with Nathan Ellis, Rashid, and Aiden Markram. The Royals have known to struggle against spin so the Kings could opt for a spin-heavy bowling line up but let's see what they decide.

RR have probably taken the biggest hit in terms of losing players with Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Andrew Tye and Jofra Archer all not being available for the second half of the IPL 2021 in UAE. They have managed to replace them with Evin Lewis, Oshane Thomas, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Glenn Phillips. Royals' Evin Lewis has been in top form after managing 426 runs at an average of 47.33 in the Caribbean Premier League.

PBKS vs RR Key Players

PBKS

KL Rahul: Since joining PBKS back in 2018, he has been one of the best batsmen not only in the franchise but in the IPL as well. He scored an amazing 659 runs in the 2018 season and then was handed the role of captain after the departure of R Ashwin.

Chris Gayle: He is set to appear in his 141st match in the IPL on Tuesday against RR at the UAE. It will also be his 40th match for the Punjab Kings after joining the team from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2018. He has scored a total of 1324 runs for PBKS. On the other hand, he also has a total of 4950 runs in the IPL.

Deepak Hooda: In a team full of hitters, he stands out because of his fearless and bold knock against the last time PBKS took on RR. Hooda scored 64 runs in 28 balls with a strike rate of 228.57. This knock proved crucial as Deepak Hooda hit seven 4s and five 6s as the PBKS were able to defend their score by 4 runs.

RR

Sanju Samson: Samson had done well to get them close to the target the last time these two teams met having scored 119 off 63 balls however, he was unable to finish it off and this time he will be hoping to do better. 

Evin Lewis: He has been brought in as a replacement but comes in top form after having performed exceedingly well at The Hundred.

Chris Morris: The most expensive player in IPL history has already proven his match-winning ability multiple times now, and will be one of the most key players in this match.

(Image: @IPL/Twitter)