Predicted PBKS Playing XI vs RCB: Will Shreyas Iyer consider benching Cooper Connolly or Marco Jansen?
The Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) season has turned 180 degrees. After becoming the first Indian Premier League (IPL) team to remain undefeated after the first 7 matches, they are now on a 5-match losing streak. Punjab has chopped and changed, but nothing has worked. At this juncture, either Punjab has to revert to the initial winning team or keep on making changes.
What changes will PBKS make against RCB?
Considering they are on a slide, it’s tough to imagine how they’ll back the likes of Nehal Wadhera or Xavier Bartlett. The extreme opposite would be resting Cooper Connolly or Marco Jansen. The former scored a hundred just 3 games ago, but his strike rate, especially in the powerplay and in the initial 10 balls, is a major concern.
After 8 innings, Connolly’s strike rate in the powerplay is just 119.48. Considering Punjab has started to lose wickets in the powerplay, his presence means they are scoring under par. Jansen’s case is much worse. After 12 matches, the all-rounder has 7 wickets at 64.28. His economy is 10.38. Jansen looked tired; his speed is down.
The issue is that Jansen provides that balance. He’s a lower-order hitter, although he hasn’t come good and can bowl in the middle phase. Similarly, Connolly has been ultra-consistent. He’s scoring 39 runs per innings. The Australian southpaw has even played match-winning knocks.
What will likely happen is that Lockie Ferguson returns to the team for Bartlett, who has been woeful in the latter half of IPL 2026. Considering that Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Arshdeep Singh all like to bowl with the new ball, it makes sense to play Ferguson, who’s most effective from the 5th to the 15th overs. This also means that Marcus Stoinis will remain benched, who has been one of the better middle-order batters for Punjab.
Predicted PBKS Playing XI vs RCB
| S. No. | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prabhsimran Singh (wk) | Wicketkeeper opener |
| 2 | Priyansh Arya | Opener |
| 3 | Cooper Connolly | Batting all-rounder (spin) |
| 4 | Shreyas Iyer (c) | Middle-order batter |
| 5 | Suryansh Shedge | Batting all-rounder (pace) |
| 6 | Shashank Singh | Batting all-rounder (pace) |
| 7 | Azmatullah Omarzai | Bowling all-rounder (pace) |
| 8 | Marco Jansen | Bowling all-rounder (pace) |
| 9 | Lockie Ferguson | Right-arm fast bowler |
| 10 | Arshdeep Singh | Left-arm fast bowler |
| 11 | Yuzvendra Chahal | Leg-spinner |
| Impact Sub | Vishnu Vinod/ Musheer Khan/ Harpreet Brar/ Vijaykumar Vyshak |
The post Predicted PBKS Playing XI vs RCB: Will Shreyas Iyer consider benching Cooper Connolly or Marco Jansen? appeared first on Inside Sport India.
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