KL Rahul and the Punjab Kings team management will have to get their best playing XI soon in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. PBKS are looking to make a comeback after a poor start to the tournament in India. For the UAE leg, PBKS will be without some star names with Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith and Dawid Malan pulling out of the remaining fixtures. The trio have been replaced by Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid and Aiden Markram. All eyes will be on West Indian Nicholas Pooran as he had failed to create an impact in the first half. He will be high on confidence after as he is coming off a good CPL season.
Here is the XI we think PBKS will field against RR on Monday:
KL Rahul: The Punjab skipper is currently second in the Orange Cap race with 331 runs from seven games with a best of 91 this season. The wicketkeeper-batsman was also his side's highest run-scorer last season. The 29-year-old is expected to don the gloves against Rajasthan.
Mayank Agarwal: Mayank Agarwal's partnership at the top of the order with his state-mate KL Rahul has been PBKS' biggest strength. He will look to set a strong platform for the big hitters to build on.
Chris Gayle: Chris Gayle's experience will come in handy for Punjab in the coming matches and the swashbuckling batsman will also need to play some big knocks. The veteran has managed to score 178 runs in IPL 2021.
Nicholas Pooran: The West Indies international wasn't in the best of form during the tournament's first-half. Nicholas Pooran managed to score only 28 runs in seven games, but still remains a crucial cog in Rahul's unit due to his power-hitting skills.
Deepak Hooda: Deepak Hooda will be aiming to prove his credentials for Punjab once again in UAE. His all-round skills can come in handy for skipper Rahul.
Shahrukh Khan: After showcasing his strengths in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shahrukh Khan failed to impress in the first leg of IPL 2021. The 26-year-old scored 107 runs in eight games with a strike rate of 127.38 for PBKS, before the season was postponed in May.
Chris Jordan: The English cricketer wasn't given many opportunities in the first-half of the season, taking two wickets in three games for Punjab. But the pitches in UAE could help his skiddy bowling style. He can also wield the long handle down the order.
Adil Rashid: The spinner was roped in as a replacement and could be Rahul's trump card in UAE. The likes of Ravi Bishnoi will also be hoping to learn from the 2019 World Cup winner.
Mohammed Shami: Mohammed Shami has 8 wickets in 8 matches this season and is leading the bowling charts for his team. The UAE leg will be a good opportunity for him to stake a claim in India's playing XI for the T20 World Cup.
Ravi Bishnoi: The youngster impressed everyone with his bowling in UAE last season and he has a chance to build on that success as the league returns to the same venue.
Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep Singh is his side's second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021 with seven dismissals. He will be hoping to put in some good displays in UAE.