Rajasthan Royals are on a quest to rediscover their winning ways and solidify their position in the top two. Facing the risk of a fifth consecutive defeat in the latter part of the league stage, the team is determined to reverse their fortunes and maintain their place among the frontrunners.
Overview
A couple of weeks ago, the idea of KKR and RR facing off in the final seemed quite possible, with both teams occupying the top two spots. RR even held the top position for a while.
However, Sunrisers Hyderabad disrupted RR’s campaign. Their narrow one-run victory ended RR’s four-match winning streak and started a four-match losing streak for RR. Now, RR faces table-toppers KKR, who are on a four-match winning streak themselves, except for a washed-out game against Gujarat Titans. RR needs this win to secure the second spot, no matter the outcomes of the RCB vs CSK match on Saturday and the SRH vs PBKS game on Sunday.
RR had a strong start, winning eight of their first nine games. This isn’t new for them. Last year, they won five of their first eight but then lost four of the remaining six games, missing out on the playoffs. The year before, they won six of their first eight but lost three of their remaining six games, losing the top spot.
Winning their final league match against KKR would break this pattern, end their losing streak, and boost their confidence, helping them aim for the first qualifier instead of the eliminator.
KKR is on a high with their winning streak, making them strong contenders for the title. Their success could lead to their mentor Gautam Gambhir potentially joining the Indian cricket team. KKR has had a week since securing their spot in the first qualifier, giving them time to strategize a replacement for Phil Salt and plan for Sunil Narine’s off day, whether with the bat or ball.
Team Updates and Key Players Strategy
Rajasthan Royals [RR] : Tom Kohler-Cadmore is set to open in place of Jos Buttler, similar to their last game against Punjab Kings. In that match, they swapped Dhruv Jurel with Donovan Ferreira after a tough start at 102 for 6. This setup might change on Sunday since Shimron Hetmyer, who missed that game, is now available. If the game is high-scoring, RR might consider adding a sixth bowler to handle KKR’s strong batting lineup.
Expected Playing XII:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore
- Sanju Samson (capt & wk)
- Riyan Parag
- Dhruv Jurel
- Shimron Hetmyer/Rovman Powell
- R Ashwin
- Trent Boult
- Avesh Khan
- Sandeep Sharma
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Nandre Burger/Donovan Ferreira/Keshav Maharaj
Kolkata Knight Riders [KKR] : Rahmanullah Gurbaz is expected to open instead of Phil Salt, a change anticipated for the rained-out game against Gujarat Titans. Depending on the pitch conditions, their impact bowler could be Vaibhav Arora or Suyash Sharma, replacing a batter like Venkatesh Iyer.
Expected Playing XII:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Sunil Narine
- Nitish Rana
- Shreyas Iyer (capt)
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Andre Russell
- Rinku Singh
- Ramandeep Singh
- Mitchell Starc
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Harshit Rana
- Vaibhav Arora/Suyash Sharma
Recent Track Record
Rajasthan Royals [RR] :[ L , L , L , L , W]
Kolkata Knight Riders [KKR] :[ W , W , W , W , L]
In the limelight
All attention will be on the two new openers.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore made his IPL debut against Punjab King’s but had a tough time, scoring only 18 runs off 23 balls on a challenging pitch. Known for his powerful hitting, especially straight down the ground, Kohler-Cadmore could be a key player for RR, particularly as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s runs have slowed. He has performed well in various leagues like the Lanka Premier League, PSL, BBL, Abu Dhabi T10, and the Hundred. If he can deliver in crucial matches for RR, it will further boost his reputation.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the aggressive opener from Afghanistan, is expected to play before the playoffs. At just 22, he has the potential to provide the explosive starts KKR needs alongside Sunil Narine. However, his recent T20 form has been inconsistent, with only 105 runs in his last six innings. His IPL stats from last season aren’t very impressive either, with 227 runs from 11 innings, an average of 20.63, and a strike rate of 133.52. Facing bowlers like Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and R Ashwin will be a tough challenge for Gurbaz, making his task more difficult than Kohler-Cadmore’s.
Pitch Conditions and Statistics
The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati hosted its first game of this IPL season earlier this week, where RR lost to PBKS, scoring only 145 for 9. Last IPL, it hosted three matches with an average first-innings score of 180.
Important Stats:
- Shimron Hetmyer has faced Varun Chakravarthy only seven times in T20s and has been dismissed twice, scoring just six runs.
- Narine has been very successful against RR spinners, scoring 94 runs off 39 balls against R Ashwin and 49 runs off 20 balls against Yuzvendra Chahal.
- Narine is also close to hitting 100 sixes in the IPL, needing just four more. Samson needs three more sixes to reach a total of 300 in T20s.
- Sanju Samson has had mixed results against KKR spinners. He plays cautiously against Sunil Narine, scoring 66 runs off 82 balls but getting out three times. However, he has attacked Varun Chakravarthy, scoring 39 runs off 23 balls without getting out.
- Rovman Powell also has varying records against Andre Russell and Narine. Powell has struggled against Narine, scoring 51 runs off 73 balls and getting out six times. Against Russell, he has scored 23 runs off just 12 balls without being dismissed.
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