The 60^th match of the Indian T20 League 2022 will have Bangalore take on Punjab on Friday at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Bangalore are currently sitting at number four on the points table with 7 wins in 12 matches. They are coming into the game on the back of a 67-run win and are just one win away from sealing a spot in the playoffs.

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On the other hand, Punjab are languishing at 8^th on the table with 5 wins in 11 matches. Every game from here on is a must-win for them. They lost their last match against Rajasthan by 6 wickets.

Team News:

Bangalore:

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Bangalore are playing formidable cricket at the moment. They registered a massive 67-run win over Hyderabad in their last game. The likes of Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar and Karthik are all amongst the runs. The only concern they have right now is the poor form of Virat Kohli. It will be interesting to see if he could return to form with an impactful knock on Friday.

The bowling unit too has been firing on all cylinders. Mohammed Siraj, though, hasn’t lived up to his potential this season but you could see him making improvements.

Players to watch out for:

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1. Faf du Plessis

Skipper, Faf du Plessis has been the standout batter for the team. He has played a few match-winning knocks for the side and is in top form. Du Plessis played a match-winning knock of 73 runs in 50 balls in the last game, a knock which was studded with 8 fours and 2 sixes.

2. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell fared really well with both bat and ball in the last match. He scored a handy knock of 33 runs in 24 balls and returned with impressive bowling figures of 2 for 17 in 4 overs. He will be one of the players to watch out for.

3. Wanindu Hasaranga

Wrist spinners have had great success in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League. The Sri Lankan spinner too has been outstanding this season for Bangalore. In the last game, he ran through the opposition’s batting unit, returning with bowling figures of 5 for 18 in 4 overs.

Probable Playing XI:

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

Punjab:

Punjab’s chances of making it into the playoffs are currently hanging by a thread. They built a star-studded squad but, once again, has failed to live to all the hype. They are coming off a defeat and the confidence won’t be too high.

Mayank Agarwal hasn’t had a great season with the bat. Jonny Bairstow’s returning to form though is a big positive and the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Livingstone are also in solid form. You can expect them to put in a solid show with the bat on Friday.

Bowling though remains a big concern for them. Rahul Chahar hasn’t lived up to his billing, while Rabada hasn’t picked a lot of wickets either. It will be interesting to see if they make any changes in that department.

Players to watch out for:

1. Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow returned to form with a 56 off 40 in the last match. This a big positive for the side. He will be brimming with confidence and one can expect a similar knock from his willow in the next match as well.

2. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is the man in form. He fell cheaply in the last match, but, overall, has been in solid form. Dhawan is currently the team’s highest run-getter, having managed 381 runs in 11 matches at 42.33.

3. Liam Livingstone

Liam Livingstone exhibited his power-hitting display in the ongoing edition. He hasn’t disappointed his fans but the team would want him to play an impactful knock on Friday. He is currently the second highest run-getter for the side with 315 runs to his name in 11 matches at a strike rate of 184.

Probable Playing XI:

Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma

Match Details:

Indian T20 League 2022 Match 60, Bangalore vs Punjab

Date: 13th May, 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network for Television and Disney + Hotstar app live streaming

Pitch Report

The 60^th match between Bangalore and Punjab is slated to be played at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The dimensions of the ground are pretty small and, thus, you expect the batters to hit a lot of sixes. Having said that, there is assistance for the spinners and they will come into play in the middle overs. With dew coming around, both teams should bowl first upon winning the toss.