IPL 2024: Can Royal Challengers Bengaluru make it to the playoffs?

A resurgent Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look for their fourth consecutive victory when they face an unpredictable Punjab Kings as the two sides fight for survival in the Indian Premier League here on ThursdayAfter a horrendous start to the season RCB have managed to claw their way back into the tournament They have the winning momentum on their side having won their last three games comprehensivelyThe wins have not only boosted their sagging morale but also taken them to the seventh spot in the points tableAlso ReadThe plan was to keep one over of Kuldeep to counter Ferreira and Powell PantWith eight points from 11 games RCB can still make the Playoffs if they win all their remaining three fixtures although the chances are slimPunjab Kings led by Sam Curran too stare at a similar situation They occupy the eighth spot having collected eight points from 11 gamesOnly one team can reach 14However between the twomdashonly one team can reach the allimportant 14 points markHaving beaten PBKS earlier in the season and heading to this clash with three wins on the trot RCB will feel more confident than the hostsVirat Kohli remains consistent at the top while skipper Faf du Plessis broke his string of poor scores with a belligerent knock in the last gameWill Jacks also impressed with a matchwinning century against GT and Cameron Green showcased his allround skills with crucial contributions in runs and wickets against Sunrisers HyderabadTheir bowling department has started clicking with Mohammed Siraj who is in Indiarsquos T20 World Cup squad finally finding his rhythmYash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyshak also did well against GT and RCB will expect them to continue in the same veinPBKS on the other hand will be low on confidence having suffered an inexplicable batting collapse against Chennai Super KingsThe Kings showcased their very best and worst against CSK Their bowlers were all over the CSK batters but the batting unit chokedIt was an example of how Punjabrsquos season has been this yearmdashunpredictableThey have showcased their potential with away wins over Kolkata Knight Riders when they recorded the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket and CSKPunjab struggling at homeHowever they have faced difficulties getting the job done at home They won just one out of five games in Mullanpur their main home groundA change in venue to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium also didnrsquot go their way in the previous game hereThe team would hope to end its home run on a high but for that to happen the PBKS unit has to fire in unisonThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever