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In the sixty-first match of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on 17th at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala.th May at 3:30 PM IST.
Get the best PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI and Match Insights for 61.scheduled tribe IPL 2026 match. Expert analysis and more.
Also read: BCCI plans special workload management for Jasprit Bumrah ahead of busy season
PBKS vs RCB Hot Picks for Dream11 Prediction and Fantasy Cricket Tips:
Captaincy Choice:
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Prabhsimran Singh – The Punjab Kings batsman scored 439 runs in 12 matches at an average of 43.90 and a strike rate of 170.16. |
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Virat Kohli – The Royal Challengers Bangalore opening batsman scored 484 runs in 12 matches at an average of 53.78 and an impressive strike rate of 165.76. |
Raises up:
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Rajat Patidar – The middle-order batsman for Royal Challengers Bangalore scored 337 runs in 12 matches with a strike rate of 192.57 and 31 sixes. |
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Shreyas Iyer – The Punjab Kings captain scored 396 runs in 12 matches at an average of 49.50, including five half-centuries, this season. |
Budget Selection:
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Jacob Bethel – The Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder contributed 85 runs in 6 matches, registering a strike rate of 121.43 and a highest score of 27. |
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Arshdeep Singh – The Punjab Kings fast bowler took 13 wickets in 10 matches, registering best bowling figures of 3/22 with an economy of 8.95. |
PBKS vs RCB IPL 2026 Captain and Vice-Captain Options:
|
captain |
Virat Kohli and Prabhsimran Singh |
|
vice captain |
Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar |
PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Team 1:
- Keepers – Prabhsimran Singh
- Batsmen – Virat Kohli©, Shreyas Iyer (Vice Captain), Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Priyansh Arya
- Allrounder – Krunal Pandya, Azmatullah Omarzai, Cooper Connolly
- Bowlers-Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood
PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Team 2:
- Keepers – Prabhsimran Singh ©
- Batsmen- Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar (Vice Captain), Priyansh Arya, Jacob Bethel
- Allrounder – Krunal Pandya, Azmatullah Omarzai, Cooper Connolly
- Bowlers-Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh
PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today Match 61 IPL 2026 Players to Avoid:
|
player |
dream11 credit |
Dream11 Points (Last Match) |
|
Swapnil Singh |
6.0 credit |
No |
|
ben dwarshuis |
7.5 credits |
No |
PBKS vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today Match 61 IPL 2026 Expert Advice:
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sl captaincy option |
Virat Kohli |
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gl captaincy option |
Prabhsimran Singh |
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choice of punt |
Arshdeep Singh and Jacob Bethel |
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dream11 combination |
1-5-3-2 |
PBKS vs RCB Match Preview:
Punjab Kings will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore in the sixty-first match of IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The afternoon encounter will begin at 3:30 PM IST and promises to play a crucial role in shaping the playoff race. Furthermore, both the teams are coming into this contest with contrasting momentum as Royal Challengers Bangalore have maintained their dominance while Punjab Kings are looking for a much-needed change of pace.
Historically, the rivalry between these franchises has been extremely close and competitive. Royal Challengers Bengaluru currently hold the slight lead with nineteen wins, while Punjab Kings have recorded eighteen wins in their thirty-seven meetings. Furthermore, their most recent big encounter came during the IPL 2025 Final, where Bengaluru defeated Punjab to lift the championship trophy.
Bengaluru now top the table with sixteen points from twelve matches and are entering this game on the back of an impressive win against Kolkata Knight Riders. In that encounter, Virat Kohli scored a brilliant century, while captain Rajat Patidar continued to effectively guide the team to a possible top-two finish.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings are in dire need of a win after suffering five consecutive defeats despite a great start to the season. Shreyas Iyer’s team is still in fourth place with thirteen points, but another defeat could put serious pressure on its playoff hopes. Although the batting lineup has consistently scored big scores, the bowling attack will need to improve considerably to stop the current decline.
Meanwhile, the Dharamshala surface is traditionally conducive to stroke play due to the high altitude and quick outfield, often leading to high-scoring contests. Since it is a day match, dew is unlikely to have much impact on the conditions, and hence the spinners may get some assistance during the middle overs. As a result, fans can expect an entertaining clash between Punjab’s desperation and Bengaluru’s confidence.
PBKS vs RCB Head-to-Head Record:
|
teams |
win the match |
|
punjab kings |
18 |
|
Royal Challengers Bangalore |
19 |
PBKS vs RCB Weather and Pitch Report:
|
temperature |
24°C |
|
weather forecast |
partly cloudy |
|
pitch behavior |
batting friendly |
|
Best suited for |
motion |
|
Average score of first innings |
185 |
Records of chasing teams:
PBKS vs RCB Playing 11 (Expected):
Punjab Kings Playing 11:
1) Priyansh Arya
2) Cooper Connolly
3) Shreyas Iyer ©
4)Marcus Stoinis
5) Suryansh Shedge
6) Azmatullah Omarzai
7) Marco Jansson
8) Xavier Bartlett
9) Arshdeep Singh
10) Yuzvendra Chahal
11) Vijaykumar Vaishya
12) Prabhsimran Singh
Royal Challengers Bangalore Playing 11: :
1)Virat Kohli
2) Jacob Bethel
3) Devdutt Padikkal
4) Rajat Patidar ©
5) Tim David
6) Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper)
7) Venkatesh Iyer
8) Krunal Pandya
9) Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
10) Josh Hazlewood
11) Rasikh Salaam Dar
12) Suyash Sharma
PBKS vs RCB Match Winner Prediction:
Looking at the recent form, Royal Challengers Bangalore are expected to win this match.
