Photo credit: BCCI/IPLT20.comAfter taking down Rajasthan Royals at Indore in their match in the VIVO Indian Premier League on Sunday, Kings XI Punjab will hope for an encore performance against the same opposition at Jaipur on Tuesday.
Aamne Saamne
Kings XI Punjab | Rajasthan Royals |
7 wins | 9 wins |
Closing in on RR’s superior head-to-head record in this contest, Kings XI Punjab have won 4 of the last 5 matches including the close encounter a couple of days back. With 6 wins already, KXIP will want to keep the momentum up and grab another one under their belts.
Batting de Baadshah
Lokesh Rahul for KXIP | Sanju Samson for RR |
376 runs | 310 runs |
It has been a see-saw between Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul when it comes to scoring the most runs for KXIP, but Rahul leads the charts once again now. He has shown us his destructive best this season while opening the batting, but he also showed his watchful and solid side in the last match, where he stabilized the innings in the middle and finished with a match-winning innings of an unbeaten 84.
Though he scored just the 28 in the previous match, Sanju Samson has been the best batsman for RR throughout the season, coming in at No. 3 or 4 and getting runs through the middle overs. With a strike rate of 142.85 and an average of 38.75, the young batsman has certainly done well this season.
Bowling de Kings
Mujeeb Ur Rahman for KXIP | Jofra Archer for RR |
12 wickets | 8 wickets |
Tied with Andrew Tye at 12 wickets for KXIP, Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been the pick of the bowlers for the side. With a range of bowling options in his armoury, it is no surprise that batsman have found it hard to pick this 17-year-old sensation who enjoys a stunning economy rate of 6.85.
In just the 4 matches he has played, Jofra Archer has picked up 8 wickets and finds himself as the highest wicket-taker for RR. His economy rate of 8.22 is on the higher side, but considering he bowls in the powerplay and death overs, the fast bowler has done a tremendous job in picking wickets every match.
From the Lion’s Mouth
“Many of our Indian batsmen are inexperienced and they'll get better.” - Ravichandran Ashwin
Mudde ki Baat
Having pocketed 6 wins already, KXIP are well on track to qualify for the Playoffs, and one more win should ideally do the trick. The bowling unit has been brilliant, winning most matches for the team, but the middle order in the batting line-up is yet to take its chances. However, this was rectified in the previous match when Karun Nair and Marcus Stoinis played valuable cameos to take the team over the finish line.
Lying at the bottom of the table and virtually out of the reckoning to qualify for the next stage, RR will now be playing for pride when they face KXIP. With not many bowlers picking wickets consistently, the attack has looked blunt at times, till the inclusion of Archer who has impressed. In the batting too, Samson has been the only consistent batsman, and the team is yet to settle on a set batting order. The recent form of Jos Buttler would be impressive though, having scored two half centuries in as many matches as an opener.
Yaad Rakhiyo
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s best T20 bowling figures came against RR – 3/27
- Lokesh Rahul’s highest IPL score has come against RR – 84*
Who could play?
KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
With the middle order coming good in the previous match to add to the good performances of Rahul and the bowling attack, KXIP could well go into this coming match with barely any changes. It could be a toss-up between Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary and Mayank Agarwal, with only two of the three to play probably.
NOTE: The aforementioned line-up is an educated guess at best, and the final decision rests with the captain and the team management depending on various external factors.
