Far from their mid-table worries, Rajasthan Royals will be relishing the prospect of a play-off spot when they take on Lucknow Supergiants at the Ekna International Cricket Stadium in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.
Leaders Rajasthan have won all their three away matches so far and a fourth win would take them to 16 points and seal all but a place in the knockout rounds.
Yasshwi Jaiswal regained his magic with an unbeaten 104 to thrash Mumbai Indians by nine wickets, erasing the only blemish on the Royals’ top order. Captain Sanju Samson will be hoping to emulate his 20-run win (82 off 52 balls) against Lucknow earlier this season when Royals scored 82 balls and will have the Orange Cap in the game.
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However, the Supergiants will not be easily defeated after a brilliant performance in two wins against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The KL Rahul-led side, which scored 180 and 211 points in the last two games, not only bounced back with 4 points, but also leapfrogged CSK to the fourth spot in the table.
The team will pray for Mayank Yadav’s recovery from injury. The speed genius, who last played against Gujarat Titans on April 7, bowled on the eve of the game and assistant coach S. Sriram expressed optimism about his inclusion on Saturday. Mayank’s economy rate of 6.00 was invaluable against the failing Super Giants’ pace attack.
If Mayank fails to make the cut, Ravi Bishnoi, who has 4 wickets and an economy of 7.84 this season, will be the bowling spearhead for the home team.
The KL Rahul-led side, which scored 180 and 211 points in the last two games, not only bounced back with 4 points, but also leapfrogged CSK to the fourth spot in the table. | Photo credit: PTI
The KL Rahul-led side, which scored 180 and 211 points in the last two games, not only bounced back with 4 points, but also leapfrogged CSK to the fourth spot in the table. | Photo credit: PTI
Another leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is also likely to be the first option to be deployed by the Royals considering the significant contributions of Rahul and Marcus Stoinis in the Supergiants’ two victories. Rahul’s strike rate with leg-spin in this IPL has dropped to 93, with Stoinis falling to spinners five times in eight innings. Even Keshav Maharaj could provide a favorable matchup and return to the starting XI.
Royals will look for a solution for Nicholas Purland after relegation. The left-handed batsman saved the team by injecting momentum and his strike rate was close to 170, the highest by a Lucknow batsman. A little help from Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda at this stage could go a long way for Lucknow against the most frugal team in IPL 2024 (9.37).
Tags: LSG IPL Rajasthan Royals ambitious Lucknow Supergiants playoff spot
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