Rajasthan Royals take on Delhi Capitals at home after winning two out of two against the Mumbai Indians in this edition of the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL). We played fearless cricket in the last game and the result went our way, as we beat MI. In the end, it was a comfortable chase for our batsmen against an impressive MI bowling attack. The start that both our batsmen and bowlers have been providing so far has been tremendous and will be one of the key factors for us in the coming games as well. Winning the last game was definitely special, but the Royals will have to keep playing fearless cricket as we move on to the next game and look to keep accumulating points. Powerplay of Numbers We are way ahead in the head-to-head contest against Delhi Capitals, winning 11 out of the 18 matches played overall in the Vivo IPL. Add to that, we have won 4 out of the 5 matches played so far against them at our fortress. This is the first time we will be taking on DC in this edition of the Vivo IPL. Former DC man, Sanju Samson was the Man of the Match In our last meeting against what was formerly Delhi Daredevils, at the SMS. The key, as our head coach, Paddy Upton put it, will be to gather small victories in various situations of the game, and that will help us emerge victorious in the game. Dynamic Duels Steve Smith vs Chris Morris Our captain has found his form, which was evident in his match-winning innings against MI. His timing and wrist work is a treat to watch once he gets going. Chris Morris has been with Delhi for years now, and he is a trusted asset for them with the ball. Smith and Morris have faced each other on 4 occasions, and our skipper strikes at 161 against the Protea all-rounder. Make sure to stay glued to the action when these two go head-to-head. Ajinkya Rahane vs Amit Mishra Ajinkya Rahane can be a devastating batsman when he takes the long-route against spinners with his inside-out shots and heaves over mid-wicket. Amit Mishra has been a successful spinner and has managed to come on top when it comes to bowling in the middle overs of the innings. The conditions and surface of the SMS might assist him to some extent. In the 9 innings that they have played against each other, Rahane has scored 85 runs at a strike rate of 123 while Amit Mishra has dismissed him thrice. Jaydev Unadkat vs Shreyas Iyer Jaydev Unadkat has found his rhythm and it makes great fun to watch him bowl his variations. The Delhi captain doesn’t have the best of records against JD, who has dismissed him on two occasions. Moreover, Iyer has been striking at under 70. Can JD keep his mojo working against Iyer? Our objective is simple – win every game from here on. The points table is going to be super competitive and the boys are equally ready for that. It’s going to be an exciting contest and we would like to build on the winning momentum. Halla Bol!
RR look to stick to winning ways
RR look to stick to winning ways