Overview: -
The Northern Derby is back between the 2nd placed Rajasthan Royals and last placed Punjab Kings to be held at Guwahati, the place where RR’s Riyan Parag belongs from. This match will have no relevance to the qualification scenario, so it is better to say that, this match should be watched from an entertainment perspective.
Team Previews:
Head-to-Head Record: 32 matches; Rajasthan won 16, Punjab won 10, Tied 1
Rajasthan Royals: -
Rajasthan Royals, after getting qualified for IPL 2024 playoffs after Lucknow Super Giants lost to Delhi Capitals at Delhi, are looking to seal a top-2 spot in the points table. Should they win this, they will confirm a top-2 spot and won’t have to play the Eliminator.
Sanju Samson’s team looks well-oiled even after losing Jos Buttler for the preparation of 2024 World T20 to be held in June 2024 in West Indies and the USA. Even after 3 consecutive losses, they still look to be the favourites to win the title, thanks to the in-form batsmen and bowlers they have currently. Either of Ravichandran Ashwin or Tanush Kotian is likely to partner Yashaswi Jaiswal as openers for RR’s remaining matches.
Nandre Burger, the express speedster, has been able to bowl well on slower pitches of Chennai. Guwahati, being a high scoring venue, should suit his bowling and help him take wickets.
Punjab Kings: -
Punjab Kings are all but playing for pride and avoiding the wooden spoon tag. Punjab have been at the receiving end against Rajasthan Royals, winning only 2 of the last 8 matches played against them. Stand-in captain Sam Curran will be departing from IPL 2024 to join England ahead of 2024 World T20. In-form batsman Shashank Singh might be handed over the captaincy for the remaining two matches as Shikhar Dhawan continues to recover from an injury.
Lead seamer Arshdeep Singh’s inconsistent form with the ball is a cause of worry. A lot will depend on Shashank Singh and Arshdeep Singh on how to take things deeper and win the match for Punjab Kings. Nathan Ellis might be back in the playing XI while Sikandar Raza will also make a comeback considering all England players have withdrawn from the IPL teams.
Probable Teams:
Rajasthan Royals: -
Yashaswi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sanju Samson (c)(wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Tanush Kotian, Shubham Dubey, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nandre Burger
Punjab Kings: -
Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh (C), Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Ashutosh Sharma, Harshal Patel, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Vidwath Kaverappa
Weather and Pitch Report: -
Guwahati is a batting paradise, so expect a run feast and expect one to bat first after winning the toss and score over 220+ to give a daunting target.
Match Details: -
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Date: 15th May 2024
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Live Streaming: Star Sports 1, 2 and Jio Cinema
Dream XI: -
