Rajasthan Royals are better placed than Punjab Kings on the net run rate but both will have to rely on other results to advance.
Pope looks certain to play in the second Test in place of dropped Dawid Malan.
Punjab have never won the IPL since the league's inception in 2008 and the four co-owners will be hoping Australia's World Cup-winning captain takes them all the way.
Led by Josh Hazlewood, RCB produced a dominant bowling performance to crush Chennai Super Kings by 50 runs.
Evin Lewis stroked 94 West Indies cruised to an eight-wicket victory over an experimental England side in the rain-affected first ODI.
Alongside old war horses James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Matthew Potts, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran and Olly Stone are also likely to fight for a place in the team for the Ashes, which will begin with the first Test at Edgbaston on June 16.
Faltering Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians desperate to resurrect IPL campaign
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2024 campaign is just one-match old, but it has already exposed their biggest chink. It's fragility in bowling, and they need better returns from bowlers against a confident Punjab Kings at an unforgiving M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Monday.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 16.25 crore.
The pacer praised Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh for helping PBKS recovering in the second inning after losing two quick wickets.
If CSK fails to win Friday's match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai, it could turn to be a historic new low for them. It could be the first time that CSK have lost three matches in a row at home.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, in Bengaluru, on Monday.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.
The standout performers with the bat on Wednesday...
It was England's third successive ODI series defeat since their disappointing World Cup in India last year.
Entering the contest with a positive mindset and on the back of two solid victories, Joshi said that his side will stick with the same playing combination.
Spinner Adil Rashid returns to both T20 and ODI squads after missing the series against India to make The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Their campaigns wobbling after a string of defeats, bottom-rung teams Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans will be desperate to arrest the slide and get back to winning ways in their Indian Premier League match in Mullanpur on Sunday.
Russell's explosive 42 runs off 23 balls was a game-changer.
England captain Jos Buttler declined to appeal for obstructing the field, however, saying later that he had not seen the incident clearly and wanted to avoid controversy at the start of the series.
England captain Liam Livingstone struck a magnificent century to guide the tourists to a five-wicket victory over West Indies.
Former South African quick Dale Steyn opined that MI's frontline pacers Bumrah and Coetzee need support from other bowlers, given the rigours of the IPL. He hinted that an off-colour Pandya was not helping MI's bowling department.
PBKS' Livingstone returns to England to address knee niggle ahead of T20 WC
Ravindra Jadeja's superb all-rounder show powered Chennai Super Kings to a thumping 28-run victory against Punjab Kings.
Vote for your best knock of the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match.
PHOTOS of the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals at the Himachal Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday.
Jadeja will be expected to play a key role in the T20 showpiece in the United States and West Indies, where the ball is likely to turn.
IPL: Comeback-man Pant the highlight as Delhi Capitals take on Punjab Kings
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will look to set their house in order and get back to winning ways when they face an upbeat yet unpredictable Punjab Kings for the second time in a row in the IPL match in Dharamsala on Sunday.
England name their 16-member squad for T20Is against India
A spirited Punjab Kings edged Chennai Super Kings by four wickets in a thrilling finish off the last ball in a high-scoring IPL 2023 match.
The absence of two frontline bowlers, Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande, and copious amount of dew at the Chepauk Stadium hurt Chennai Super Kings in their seven-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings on Wednesday, reckoned skipper Ruturaj Gaikward.
A disappointed Rajasthan Royals will have to focus on better execution of their strategies for a swift turnaround when they face a highly inconsistent yet capable Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match in Mullanpur on Saturday.
Mumbai Indians, who are placed sixth in the points table, have been able to bounce back impressively with wins against Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Their campaign was not off to the best of starts with an injury to their lead pacer and the team guilty of a sloppy display on the field which led to a loss but Abhishek Porel's scintillating cameo was a big positive, says Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre.
Vidwath Kaverappa dismissed Faf du Plessis and Will Jacks but had Virat Kohli dropped twice off his bowling.
Ben Stokes will start the third Test for England against India at Trent Bridge on Saturday just four days after being cleared of affray.
The Curran-Rayudu partnership for the third wicket put the brakes on the CSK innings in the middle overs, as they could add just 27 runs from 26 balls before both fell in quick succession.
Arshdeep picked up four wickets, including two off consecutive deliveries in the final over, for 29 runs as Mumbai Indians fell short by 13 runs, chasing a target of 215, in Saturday's IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium.
England will be eyeing their second T20 World Cup after a long wait of 12 years.
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