Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings, 31st Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Hello and welcome to the live blog of the IPL 2020 clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab.

KXIP's campaign so far is perhaps best viewed through the prism of Chris Gayle's video message to the team's fans two nights out from their clash against RCB. The Jamaican declaring himself fit and said about KXIP's campaign: "It is still possible".

It's a phrase that could not have been uttered without giving away the underlying impression of improbability. Gayle, once a famous Royal Challenger, will undoubtedly have seen it used at some time in his previous team and know the scale of the task at hand.

Given the treats they've served up so far, there's no doubt these chaotic campaigners at KXIP will have punches to throw even with their backs touching the cold proverbial wall. After ending on the wrong side of three cliffhangers in the first half, the permutations are simple. Anything less than a win to start the second-half and they'll see that playoffs berth disappear further into the horizon.

However this potential make-or-break contest pans out, KXIP are one of the case studies of IPL 2020. This is thanks almost entirely down to their fluctuating bowling standards and their inability to close out a game. After their latest heartbreak in Abu Dhabi, they now head to the scene of one of their earlier mishaps. But Sharjah has since changed character and the adrenaline of impending elimination may just aid KL Rahul & Co. to reverse their own disposition.

Quite what Virat Kohli makes of such maverick opposition is anyone's guess. Maybe he sees a version of past RCB sides in them. If KXIP have lost games they should have won, RCB have, this time, opted for the less scenic route to the playoffs. They are not there by any means and could face an anxious final week if they relinquish control right now. They will start this game as overwhelming favourites despite the big loss in the reverse fixture, but given what we've seen from their opponents so far in the competition, this one could turn out to be fun.