After CSK vs MI, this is the second match on this ground between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.
Rajasthan and Punjab are not famous for any rivalry or any fanwar but in the last edition of IPL (2020). Rajasthan's Rahul Tewetia snatched out victory from the Punjab Kings's jaws in Sharjah. Tewatia overnight became a sort of synonym for the word 'comeback'. After that miracle, everyone just awaits the face-off between Tewetia and Punjab.
When it comes to head-to-head record in IPL, it's a very close affair with Royals winning 12 and Punjab winning 10 in their 22 meetings so far. Both RR and PBKS will aim for a victory as they look to secure a play-off spot which is an uphill task for them already and a slip up here will make it even harder for them to move into the top four.
Venue and Time: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai at 19:30 IST on 21 September, 2021
Rajasthan Royals: The inaugural season winner (2008) are currently no. 5 on the table. Royals, however, lost 4 matches this season against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings. Despite a staggering performance by the skipper, Rajasthan failed to win the first match of this edition. Rajasthan is still looking balanced even after their key players opting out. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are ruled out due to injuries, on the other hand, Jos Butler and Andrew Tye have taken their names back due to personal reasons but the Royals have roped in great guys as the replacement of these players.
Glenn Phillips, Evin lewis, Oshane Thomas and Tabraiz Shamsi are all set to play for Rajasthan. The skipper Sanju Samson is in good form and has already scored a hundred in the first match against Punjab. The presence of young stars in Sakariya, Parag, Jaiswal help add Indian firepower to the lineup. The million-dollar all-rounder Chris Morris was good in the first half and looked in touch with the bat as well. The one player on whom everyone's eyes are is the man in red hot form, Liam Livingstone who is in an out of the planet form in T20 cricket. In the absence of Jos Buttler, Livingstone would be the key for them. His all-around ability is a bonus for the team. The death bowling of Rajasthan is weak and after the big blow of Archer's exit they may face trouble in the UAE leg.
Punjab Kings: Well Punjab kings might be a strong team on paper but they are the most inconsistent side. They are currently placed at the sixth spot. KL Rahul's PBKS, suffered a 7-wicket loss to DC, who beat them twice in this season of IPL 2021. The Punjab Kings also suffered defeats to SRH, CSK and KKR. The team is in good touch but has failed to win matches regularly. After a lot of puffing and panting, they won the first match of this edition against Rajasthan in a close nail-biting match.
The skipper KL Rahul is in great form who can change his gear anytime of the game. His opening partner, Mayank Agarwal is also in good touch and the universe boss Christopher Henry Gayle can destroy any bowling line-up any day. Punjab's middle order is the loosely moulded and a worrying sign. Deepak Hooda will be the key for Punjab as he will play the role of a finisher along with chipping in with some spin. In the absence of No.1 ranked T20I batsman Dawid Malan, PBKS have roped in a good replacement of Aiden Markram. Adil Rashid and Nathan Ellis too have joined the squad as replacement of Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith. Last year in UAE, Punjab failed to defend their scores on both the occasions against Rajasthan. Their death bowling is a concern. Young Arshdeep and experience Shami are the death bowlers and Punjab will be hoping for them to deliver.
Expected Playing 11:
Rajasthan Royals: Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(c&wk), Liam Livingstone, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Chetan Sakariya, Kartik Tyagi, Shreyas Gopal, Mustafizur Rahman
Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (C&WK), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Nathan Ellis
Stats:
- Most runs against each other -
Sanju Samson 525 runs in 13 Innings.
KL Rahul 411 runs in 7 innings.
- Mohammed Shami is the highest wicket-taker for Punjab Kings against Rajasthan (7 wickets in 5 innings)
- Sanju Samson's highest IPL score of 119 runs came against Punjab Kings last year
- Shreyas Gopal needs 2 more wickets to complete his 50 IPL wickets
- Mayank Agarwal is 46 runs short of completing his 2000 IPL runs
- Chris Gayle is 50 runs short of completing his 5000 runs in IPL
- KL Rahul hit the most sixes in this IPL 2021 (16 sixes)
Pitch Report:
This is the second match on this pitch and is expected to behave the same. The pitch is hard and the conditions will be hot, green and lush with a good wicket to bat.
The pacers picked most of the wickets on this track in 2020 and chasing the target might be difficult for teams.
Predictions:
After seeing both the squads, we feel Punjab Kings have a slight edge over Rajasthan Royal. Yet, we cannot rule out Rajasthan in the context of this game.
The team that wins the toss will choose to bat first.
Dream11 Fantasy Team:
KL Rahul (C), Sanju Samson, Shahrukh Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Evin Lewis, Chris Morris (VC), Liam Livingstone, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi
