Rajasthan Royals (RR) will clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 8th match of the IPL 2023 at Guwahati's Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, March 5. Rajasthan, last season's runner-up, started their campaign with a dominating 72-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. Punjab Kings also started their IPL 2023 campaign with a crucial win over Kolkata Knight Riders at home. Both teams would like to extend their run by beating the other after a brilliant start in the campaign. Rajasthan are strong on paper & also on the pitch as they proved quite clearly in their opening game while Punjab are not fully stable but they can grind results based upon the mentality they have on their team. Read the full match preview, pitch report & every detail about the RR vs PBKS match with the likes of dream XI team prediction in our fantasy sports segment.

Read Also: Tata IPL 2023: Dasun Shanaka has replaced Kane Williamson in the Gujarat Titans squad

RR vs PBKS:

Match Details

Match: 8
Date: 05/04/2023
Time: 7:30 pm IST
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, Assam
Where to Watch: Star Sports, Jio Cinema

Venue Details | Pitch Report

The pitch at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium is a balanced track. The new-ball bowlers may get some lateral movement off the surface. The batters need to be patient early in their innings. Once they get their eye in, they can start hitting through the line. The average first innings score here is 153, with teams batting second winning just two of six T20 matches here. The temperatures in Guwahati are expected to range between 21 and 33 degrees Celsius.

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Head to Head

• Matches Played: 24
• RR won: 14
• PBKS won: 10

Read Also: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans: 21-year lad Sai Sudharsan shined as GT registered their second consecutive victory of the campaign

RR vs PBKS:

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Team News

Rajasthan Royals

Royals started their IPL 2023 season with a dominant win against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), courtesy of a brilliant all-round performance. They have a well-balanced side to fall back on and will start as the favorites in this encounter. Jos Buttler had a terrific start to his IPL 2023 campaign, scoring a 22-ball 54 against the Sunrisers. He will be the key man for Rajasthan in batting alongside Jaiswal & skipper Sanju Samson. Chahal was explosive in terms of taking crucial wickets during the important patches of the game. Trent Boult was the nightmare for Hyderabad in the powerplay. The pitch might not be bowling friendly but with the experiences like Boult, Ashwin, Chahal, etc, RR can create problems for Punjab.

Punjab Kings

Despite Livingstone's absence, The Kings' batters started well during their fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders. Dhawan played anchor while the others were explosive around him. The challenge will be to repeat that against a much-stronger bowling attack. Livingstone is still waiting for his fitness clearance from the ECB and has not yet arrived in India. Kagiso Rabada has joined the Punjab squad after completing South Africa's ODI series against the Netherlands on April 2. If Rabada is ready to go, he will replace Nathan Ellis in the XI.

RR vs PBKS:

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Possible Lineups

Rajasthan Royals:

• Shimron Hetmyer
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Devdutt Padikkal
• R Parag
• KR Sen
• Ravichandran Ashwin
• Jason Holder
• SV Samson(C)
• Jos Buttler
• Trent Boult
• Yuzvendra Chahal

RR | Squad: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, KC Cariappa, Jason Holder, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Kunal Rathore, Adam Zampa, KM Asif, Murugan Ashwin, Akash Vashisht, Abdul PA, Joe Root.

Punjab Kings:

• Shikhar Dhawan(C)
• Shahrukh Khan
• B Rajapaksa
• Sikandar Raza
• S Curran
• P Simran Singh
• J Sharma
• Harpreet Brar
• K Rabada
• R Chahar
• Arshdeep Singh

PBKS | Squad: Arshdeep Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Rahul Chahar, Liam Livingstone, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Baltej Dhanda, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathe, Shivam Singh

RR vs PBKS:

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Dream XI Team Prediction

The excitement of IPL 2025 is set to begin once again on May 17. However, the availability of foreign players has been a major challenge for many teams after the one-week postponement.

Many foreign players have returned to India for the remaining matches of IPL, but some have completely refused to come this season. One of them is the name of Australian legend Mitchell Starc. Starc was part of the Delhi Capitals team in IPL 2025.

Also Read: KKR Redefines Matchday Atmosphere with Unmatched Tifo Displays during IPL 2025

Starc returned due to India-Pakistan tension

However, Mitchell Starc returned to Australia due to tensions between India and Pakistan. Starc was also involved in the match when there was a sudden blackout in the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala.

Many foreign players who played in this match were in shock, but now the situation has become normal and the tournament is starting again. In such a situation, there are many foreign players who have returned.

There is talk of imposing a penalty on Starc

Mitchell Starc was an important player for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, but Starc may be in trouble due to his non-return in the remaining matches. Starc was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 11.75 crore in the mega auction.

In such a situation, it is believed that the Delhi Capitals team can deduct the auction fee if he does not return for the remaining matches of the season, for which the Australian bowler is also said to be ready.

According to the report, Mitchell Starc may face a penalty of 400000 Australian dollars i.e. Rs 3.92 crore if he does not return to IPL 2025. This amount will be deducted from his auction fee.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Here are the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament

Starc's performance in IPL 2025

Talking about Starc's performance in IPL 2025, he has taken 14 wickets in 11 matches for Delhi Capitals at an economy rate of 10.16. Starc bowled very economically this season. So, his return could prove to be a big loss for Delhi Capitals as the team is in dire need of wins to make it to the top four of the tournament. 

Delhi Capitals are currently fifth on the IPL 2025 Points Table and are among the four contenders for the playoffs’ spot. They have three matches remaining, and a win in at least two of them will take them closer to the qualification. Winning all three, will guarantee a top four finish.

RCB fans in Bengaluru to wear white for Virat Kohli Test tribute? Yes! Fans are planning a special "wear white" initiative and asking the crowd to show up in whites for the upcoming RCB vs KKR match at Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 17, 2025.

As the IPL is set to resume tomorrow, and we will witness Virat Kohli play his first match after his announcement of test retirement, fans are organising a heartfelt tribute for the King!

The viral spread of white wave

A fan-driven moment is going viral recently where they call the crowd to wear white for a collective tribute to Virat Kohli after his test retirement.

Whether you have a test jersey or not, all they ask for is wearing anything white instead of the jerseys of IPL franchises.

Discussions on Reddit

The white tribute takes shape on reddit as fans try to reach out as much as possible.

Fans pledge to wear white in Instagram comments

Fans leave heartfelt messages on comments section of official Royal Challengers Bengaluru Instagram page.

Hashtags like #WearWhiteForVirat, #KohliTestTribute, and #KohliTestFarewell are the ones people are using to make this a trend before the upcoming IPL 2025 match.

Content Creators spreading the word

Many content creators have joined hands to support this initiative and they are getting huge responses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cricket Machas (@cricketmachas)

Harsha Bhogle reacts on Twitter 

Hey @RCBTweets fans, are you planning to turn up in white for the game on the 17th? Remember seeing a post suggesting that. It will be incredible and a sight for the ages if true and if you can pull it off.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2025

The comments section in response to the initiative is getting flooded with comments like "Count me in," and "Wearing white with pride!" 

Many are tagging their acquaintance with messages like "@[friends username] Let's do it!"

Will you show up on May 17 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in whites too?

As IPL 2025 faced disruptions and was suspended on 9th May, 2025, most of the overseas players returned back to their respective home countries.

The tournament is set to resume from 17th May, 2025, and it raises a crucial question about how many overseas players can rejoin their franchises.

Given their international commitments and other issues, check out the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025 for each team.

IPL 2025 Points Table

Firstly, see where each team stands before the tournament resumes.

Read Also: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

Overseas players return status for the remainder of IPL 2025

The 18th season of Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume on May 17 after a week-long break with the remaining seven teams in contention for playoffs. According to the revised IPL 2025 schedule, the remaining 13 league matches will be played across six venues. The league stage commences on May 27.

The revised IPL 2025 schedule meant a few teams will be deprived of home advantage. While Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (16 points each) are most likely to enter the final four, things could get tight for the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings.

Also Read: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

Ahead of the IPL 2025 resumption, let's take a look at the qualification scenarios of all the seven teams in contention for playoffs. Notably, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad are officially out from the race to playoffs.

Only five teams can reach to the 18-point mark after the league stage. That means, 18 points could possibly be the cut-off for the teams in the race for playoffs.

IPL 2025 Points Table before resumption

Rank	Teams	Matches	Win	Loss	NR	Points	NRR
1	Gujarat Titans	11	8	3	0	16	+0.793
2	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	11	8	3	0	16	+0.482
3	Punjab Kings	11	7	3	1	15	+0.376
4	Mumbai Indians	12	7	5	0	14	+1.156
5	Delhi Capitals	11	6	4	1	13	+0.362
6	Kolkata Knight Riders	12	5	6	1	11	+0.193
7	Lucknow Super Giants	11	5	6	0	10	-0.469
8	Sunrisers Hyderabad (E)	11	3	7	1	7	-1.192
9	Rajasthan Royals (E)	12	3	9	0	6	-0.718
10	Chennai Super Kings (E)	12	3	9	0	6	-0.992

Gujarat Titans (16 points)

With eight wins from 11 games, the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans need just a win shy of confirming their place in the last four stage. They still have three games left in the league stage.

Remaining Games: vs DC (May 18), vs LSG (May 22), vs CSK (May 25)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (16 points)

Just like Gujarat Titans, RCB are also just a win away from securing their spot in the last four stage. RCB also have three games left, including two at home, starting with a clash against KKR.

Remaining Games: vs KKR (May 17), vs SRH (May 23), vs LSG (May 27)

Punjab Kings (15 points)

Punjab Kings breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced their called-off game against Delhi Capitals will be replayed. With three games left, Punjab Kings could possibly reach 21 points, thus securing their first playoff spot over a decade.

Remaining Games: vs RR (May 18), vs DC (May 24), vs MI (May 26)

Mumbai Indians (14 points)

After losing a few matches initially, Mumbai Indians won six matches on the bounce to enter the top four. The Hardik Pandya-led side need to win their final two games to enter the playoffs without needing a help from others. In case, Mumbai Indians lose one, they will be locked at 16 points and would hope Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals falter.

Remaining Games: vs DC (May 21), vs PBKS (May 26)

Delhi Capitals (13 points)

Despite making a roaring start with five wins in their first six matches, Delhi Capitals lost the plot to find themselves out of the top four in the points table. With 13 points in the pocket and three games left to play, Delhi Capitals need to win all their remaining matches to ensure smooth entry into knockouts.

Remaining Games: vs GT (May 18), vs MI (May 21), vs PBKS (May 24)

Also Read: IPL 2025 to resume from 17th May: Here is the revised schedule

Kolkata Knight Riders (11 points)

Things look dicey for defending champions KKR who have won five and lost six so far. Rain played spoilsport in one of their games. With two games left, KKR could go to 15 points even if they win their remaining games. KKR would also hope for other teams to falter in order to get a crack into the last four stage. For KKR to go through, Punjab Kings need to lose all their games.

Remaining Games: vs RCB (May 17), vs SRH (May 25)

Lucknow Super Giants (10 points)

With a new captain in Rishabh Pant, LSG need to win their remaining three games to get to a maximum of 16 points. Like KKR, LSG too need to look at other teams for a change of fortune. Even if LSG win their last three games, they would Mumbai Indian and Delhi Capital to not win more than one game.

Remaining Games: vs SRH (May 19), vs GT (May 22), vs RCB (May 27)

After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.

Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.

Also Read: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.

India will play New Zealand twice

India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.

It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.

India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026

In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.

The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

India's ODI schedule till World Cup 2027