4.6 overs (1 Run) It's been a watchful start from the Bangalore openers here. Full and straight, pushed towards mid on for a quick single by Anuj Rawat.
4.5 overs (0 Run) Slower delivery, full and angled into leg stump. Rawat flicks it uppishly towards mid-wicket.
4.4 overs (0 Run) Fullish delivery, on off. Rawat hangs back and keeps it out.
4.3 overs (1 Run) Risky single but Faf makes it in time. Full and straight, jammed out to mid off for a quick single.
4.2 overs (2 Runs) Good fielding in the deep by Liam Livingstone. Around middle and leg, flicked away in front of square on the leg side. Livingstone sprints to his left and dives in to save two runs for his team.
4.2 overs (1 Run) WIDE! Faf du Plessis tries to be cheeky and Arshdeep Singh tries to outsmart him. Faf shuffles right across his stumps. Singh goes chasing after him but pushes it beyond the tramline.
4.1 overs (1 Run) Back of a length, around off. Rawat punches it off the back foot through covers for a single.
3.6 overs (0 Run) Full and around off, this is driven towards mid off.
3.5 overs (0 Run) On off, pushed towards mid off.
3.4 overs (0 Run) DROPPED! At this level that should have been taken! Just short of a length, on middle. Faf du Plessis doesn't move his feet and just pulls it straight towards Shahrukh Khan at short mid-wicket. It is a sharp chance but he completely misses the ball and ends up spilling a straightforward chance. Odean Smith doesn't look impressed.
3.3 overs (1 Run) Around leg stump, tucked away towards mid-wicket for another quick run.
3.2 overs (0 Run) A touch fuller, on off. Rawat pushes it out towards covers.
3.1 overs (1 Run) Smith bowls his first bowl in the Indian T20 League at almost 141 clicks and around the top of off. De Plessis bunts it out on the off side for a quick single.
2.6 overs (0 Run) Full and straight, Rawat works it towards mid on.
2.5 overs (0 Run) Around the top of off, Rawat presses forward and nudges it on the off side with soft hands.
2.4 overs (6 Runs) SIX! What a hit from Anuj Rawat! Rawat shimmies down the track and smokes the length ball over the long on fence for the first biggie of the match.
2.3 overs (1 Run) Around middle and leg, tucked away past square leg. They look for the second run but it isn't there. Just a single.
2.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Finally, Sandeep Sharma misses his mark and serves a half volley on the pads. Du Plessis clips it aerially and into the vacant mid-wicket fence.
2.1 overs (0 Run) A length ball, on the fifth stump line. Faf du Plessis gets right behind the line of the ball to make the block.
1.6 overs (0 Run) On off, pushed towards covers by Rawat.
1.6 overs (1 Run) WIDE! A length ball, pushed wider and moving further away. Wide called.
1.5 overs (1 Run) Leg bye! A stifled appeal from the bowler but it's well down leg. Singh goes full and at the toes, the ball curves into the batter. Faf du Plessis is yorked and the ball rolls onto the off side off his pads. They scamper through for a leg bye.
1.4 overs (0 Run) On middle and going away again, du Plessis keeps it out on the off side.
1.3 overs (0 Run) Arshdeep Singh gets this one to go the other way and Faf is taken by surprise. Around leg, going away after pitching and du Plessis manages to fend it off.
1.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR LEG BYES! Singh errs in line again and gives away four extra runs. On the pads, Faf misses the flick and the ball goes off the pads and into the fine leg fence.
1.1 overs (0 Run) Around middle and leg, swinging back into the right-hander. Du Plessis gets cramped for room and awkwardly blocks it away.
1.1 overs (5 Runs) FIVE WIDES! A hint of swing for Arshdeep Singh but the line is completely wrong. Length, down leg and swinging further down. The keeper has no chance of getting to that one and its a boundary as well.
Who will bowl from the other end? It is Arshdeep Singh.
0.6 over (0 Run) Right on the money again from Sharma. Around the top of off, Rawat shimmies a bit and nudges it out onto the off side. Just a single off the first over.
0.5 over (1 Run) Faf du Plessis and Bangalore are off the mark. Length again, on the fifth stump line. Faf guides it down to third man for a single.
0.4 over (0 Run) A touch fuller from Sandeep and outside off. This one shapes away now and du Plessis eases it onto the off side. Solid start so far from Sandeep Sharma.
0.3 over (0 Run) Length again, a bit wider and shaping in nicely. Faf taps it towards cover-point.
0.2 over (0 Run) On a length, shaping in from around off. du Plessis keeps it out on the off side.
0.1 over (0 Run) Sharma starts off with a fullish ball, around off and there is some inward movement on offer for him. Faf du Plessis stays in his crease and blocks it out.
We are all set for play! The umpires make their way out to the middle as the Punjab team is seen in a huddle. Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat are the openers for Bangalore tonight and they take guard. Sandeep Sharma has the new ball in hand and he will be looking for some swing early on. Let's go...
We are minutes away from the start of this match but in the first match of Super Sunday, Delhi have managed to notch up a victory out of nowhere against Mumbai. It required a special batting effort from Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav to guide Delhi to a win in their opening fixture.
Bangalore (Playing XI) - Faf du Plessis (C), Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Virat Kohli, David Willey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
Punjab (Playing XI) - Mayank Agarwal (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (WK), Odean Smith, Shahrukh Khan, Raj Bawa, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar.
TOSS - Up goes the coin and it lands in the favour of Punjab. They will BOWL first!
Punjab on the other hand have shuffled things around with changes right on the top. A new season with a new skipper and they look balanced on the paper. They have the likes of Liam Livingstone and Odean Smith in the middle with Kagiso Rabada leading the bowling troops. Rabada though will miss the opening fixture. Which new captain will lead his troops to the safer shores first? We will find out soon. Toss and teams coming up shortly.
‘Ee sala cup namde' which means, this time the cup is ours. For yet another season, Bangalore fans will chant wholeheartedly, with a promise that the franchise will live up to the expectations, this time with a new leader at the helm. In the previous edition, they made it to the Eliminator but were knocked out by Kolkata. So they will hope to make the next big step this season and go a couple of steps further.
The Indian T20 League is up and running and the third match of the season sees Punjab take on Bangalore. Both the teams have new leaders for the new season. Virat Kohli announced last year that he will step down as the Bangalore skipper so it will be Faf du Plessis leading the side while Punjab will rely on prolific opener Mayank Agarwal to lead them.
... MATCH DAY ...
A dedicated team of experts bring you live score, live cricket score, live match update on Sports.NDTV.com. After 5.3 overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore are 31/0. The live updates of Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore scorecard is also available. It is the perfect platform to follow your favourite teams in Indian Premier League 2022. Keep a track on your favourite batsmen and bowlers through Indian Premier League 2022 today match, ball by ball commentary, Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore live score, Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore scorecard. Follow the excitement of the Indian Premier League 2022 on Sports.NDTV.com as you can follow live match updates and live cricket score through our platform.