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The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will shift base to Dharamsala for the first time in IPL 2024 to host the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday, May 5.
The two teams have played out some exciting matches in the past, as evidenced by their overall head-to-head records. CSK and PBKS have met each other 29 times in the IPL, with the former winning 15 of those. Punjab, meanwhile, have emerged victorious 14 times.
The last time the two teams met, Punjab thrashed the Super Kings by seven wickets at Chepauk. They successfully chased down 163 runs with seven wickets to spare and 13 balls in hand. Back to home, PBKS will look to do a double against Chennai, a feat that was achieved by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) earlier this season.
While the match will be played on a fresh wicket, Dharamsala is known for producing sporting pitches with good assists for new ball bowlers. Thus, batters will need to see out the initial period before unleashing their shots.
On that note, let's take a look at three players who could score the most runs in today's PBKS vs CSK match.
#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad - CSK
After a slow start to the campaign, Ruturaj Gaikwad has got his rhythm back in the last few games. He scored a fine hundred against Lucknow and followed it up with a 98 against the SunRisers Hyderabad. In the previous fixture against Punjab, the right-handed batter scored an excellent half-century.
With 509 runs from 10 matches, Gaikwad is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, trailing Virat Kohli by 33 runs.
Given the form he is in, expect the Chennai Super Kings skipper to fire once again as they look to bounce back into the competition.
#2 Jonny Bairstow - PBKS
The English wicketkeeper-batter had a horrid start to the IPL 2024 campaign and was even left out of the playing XI. But since his return, Jonny Bairstow has been a force to be reckoned with in Punjab's batting unit.
Bairstow scored a breathtaking century to help his side gun down 262 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. He followed it up with a patient 46-run knock to chase down 163 runs against CSK at Chepauk.
Bairstow's form with be a massive booster for the Punjab management and they will hope the star batter continues his form on a wicket where the ball comes nicely onto the bat.
#3 Shivam Dube - CSK
The middle-order batter has rediscovered himself ever since he joined the Chennai setup. Shivam Dube has been a menace with the bat in IPL 2024 and has been rewarded by the national selectors, who picked him in India's T20 World Cup squad.
Dube has amassed 350 runs in 10 matches at an average of 50 and a strike rate of over 170. His ability to take on the spinners sets him apart from the rest. The southpaw will look to keep the momentum going as the tournament slowly approaches its business end.
