8 Years. It’s been eight long years since Punjab Kings walked out of the M Chinnaswamy with a win in their pocket. That’s not just a stat—it’s a proper heartbreak saga. But guess what? Thursday night, the red-hot Kings return to Bengaluru with fire in their eyes and one mission: Break the jinx.
And they won't get a better opportunity to do that. RCB might be road trip champs this season, winning all their games on the road, but haven't managed to win a single game in their backyard this season. Yup, Chinnaswamy has been more of a “Challenge” than “Royal” for them so far.
Both these sides have had a very similar IPL campaign so far, mirror images almost. 6 matches. 4 wins. It's like both have the same photocopied repost card. So, Thursday’s game? It’s not just another clash—it’s a tie-breaker with playoff vibes. The one to come up trumps will further solidify their chances of finishing in the top 4.
While RCB is coming off a commanding win against the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings handed KKR an embarrassing defeat in the last match. Iyer's men defended 111 runs, the lowest IPL total ever defended, and bowled them out for a mere 95.
Keeping the war aside, there are some mouth-watering mini-battles to look forward to. Like, Shreyas Iyer vs Virat Kohli—two classy batters, same textbook, different chapters. But the juiciest face-off? Yuzvendra Chahal against his former franchise, RCB. Chahal knows their secrets, and RCB knows his quirks. Yuzi has also found his mojo back. The leggie was the destroyer-in-chief in that epic encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders. With 4 wickets, he literally broke KKR's back.
With 52 wickets at the Chinnaswamy, he is the bowler to watch out for. What happens when these two sides clash? Grab the popcorn.
