The Kings of the south have been dealt
with, and now, it’s time to deal with the Kings of the North (Game of Thrones
pun unintended). If you come to think of it, it was against the two kings we
saw some drama unfold on the field last year. This time around, the focus is
far, far away from the drama though. It’s on playing pure, dominating cricket
and winning the game.
Plot:
On the head-to-head front, Rajasthan Royals have
our necks slightly ahead of Kings XI Punjab, winning 10 of the 19 matches.
However, in the last 4 meetings, since 2018, we have won just the once. In this
year’s edition, both the Royals and KXIP have won game apiece, but the latter
have lost one too. The two teams’ batting line-ups will be brimming with
confidence after posting 200+ winning totals and defending them rather
comfortably.
Sanju Samson, Jofra Archer and Rahul
Tewatia took centre stage in Sharjah as they constantly took the game away from
CSK. Smith led from the front, taking up the huge responsibility of filling
Buttler’s shoes as an opener. It was the first time he opened the innings in
his T20 career; and a champion that he is, adjusted well to score 69.
For KXIP, Rahul is fresh off the highest
score by an Indian in the IPL. His century was a well-paced knock, batting
through the innings to see the team through to a massive total. A few members
of the Punjab camp are currently in the Rajasthan Royals squad – Miller, Vohra
& Rajpoot to name a few. They have Gowtham, who had contributed very well
for us over the last two seasons. We can expect a few battles within the
overall one as well.
Stage:
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
33 sixes were hit when Rajasthan Royals beat CSK on
Tuesday – equalling the IPL record for most sixes in a game. The Royals also
went on to score the highest total in an IPL innings in the UAE. We all know
how small the ground is and how many balls disappear on a regular basis. Both
sides have hitters who can clear the ropes with ease. We wouldn’t expect any
less from this encounter.
Acts:
Robin Uthappa vs Mohammed Shami
Shami has been dictating terms with the ball so far
in the tournament. He has extracted swing and his bouncers have been sharp.
But, our very own experienced, Uthappa, seems to enjoy the ball coming on to
the bat when Shami bowls. He has piled up over 50 runs at a strike rate of 145
against the speedster. If Uthapa continues to bat in the middle order, he could
come up against Shami towards the latter end of the innings.
Jofra Archer vs Glenn Maxwell
The two have faced off in the IPL & the Big
Bash League a few times, and Archer has always had the upper hand. Maxwell is
key to KXIP’s finishing touch with the bat, but hasn’t fired yet. Archer will
look to keep it that way, on the back of a fabulous record against Maxi. In 4
face-offs, the Englishman has got rid of the Aussie twice. Maxwell’s strike
rate is a surprising 86.
Buttler vs KXIP bowlers
Jos is about to get back to the playing XI and he
would be happy it’s against KXIP – a team he has enjoyed constant success
against. He has smashed 4 fifties against them, 3 of which have come for
Rajasthan Royals. His scores against them read – 51, 82, 69, 23. We certainly
want him to continue the trend of scoring well against Punjab.
After joining the Royals at training,
Buttler looked like a man on a mission, “They say well begun, is half done –
not at the Royals! Here, we don’t rest easy. We run! We train! We fight! It’s
the IPL, so nothing’s easy. We still remember last year, the disappointment,
the pain, the frustration. There’s lot to set right and play for.”
His words are a source of motivation to the
fellow Royals and all the fans alike. Come Sunday, we would love to keep the
winning momentum going. We will aim to fire on all cylinders, in all
departments of the game, once again. Halla Bol!
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