Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and have opted to field first against inconsistent Punjab Kings. Despite finding themselves in a jittery situation like some of their previous seasons, 2022 has definitely been a better campaign for RCB so far. Their bowling has continued the good work from the last couple of years, and Dinesh Karthik's finishing prowess has ensured that they haven't missed AB de Villiers too much.

The bowling seems to be in good hands. Josh Hazlewood has intertwined hard lengths with some bowling smarts to pick 13 wickets. The tall seamer has been consistently used across all phases of the game. Meanwhile, with just five wins out of 11, PBKS are running out of time. Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan have been dismissed four times each against spin while Bairstow has fallen twice to spin in IPL 2022. Karthik, Livingstone, Rajapaksa and Jitesh occupy the first four slots in relation to highest strike rates - first 10 balls faced - in IPL 2022. Minimum qualification - 20 balls faced this season.