Yuzvendra Chahal nears historic IPL record as RR take on PBKS in blockbuster clash

Rajasthan Royals take on Punjab Kings in their upcoming IPL 2024 fixture in Mohali, on Saturday. RR are currently on top of the table with eight points in five matches, packed with four wins and one defeat. Their only defeat of the season came against Gujarat Titans in their previous fixture and they will be looking to bounce back to winning ways.

In their four wins of the season, RR have completely outplayed their opposition in all departments. Much of the credit goes to spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is currently second in the Purple Cap race (behind Jasprit Bumrah), with 10 wickets.

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Chahal could also make history on Saturday, as he needs only three more wickets to become the first bowler in IPL history to reach 200 dismissals. The India international is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 197 scalps in 150 games, ahead of second-placed Dwayne Bravo (183) and Piyush Chawla (181), who is third.

RR also need to thank Riyan Parag, who has been in resurgent form this season. He is currently second in the Orange Cap race with 261 runs in five matches, packed with three fifties. Meanwhile, skipper Sanju Samson is fourth with 246 runs.

Despite their good form, RR need to improve in certain areas. They were the leading wicket-takers in PowerPlays in IPL 2024 with nine wickets, as Trent Boult led the pace battery with five wickets. Now, they have gone two matches without a scalp in that phase.

In their previous game against GT, RR lost by three wickets despite half-centuries from Parag and Samson. Parag smacked 76 runs off 48 balls and Samson slammed 68 off 38 deliveries. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Sen took three wickets for RR and Chahal bagged two.

Speaking ahead of RR's match vs PBKS, spinner Keshav Maharaj said, "Winning at home is very crucial in terms of reaching the next stage of qualification and I think we've done that relatively well. There's still a lot more cricket to go... But also, having said that, winning at home you also still need to make sure you get the results on the road."