For SRH, the IPL 2021 season has been a disappointment, with the team winning only one match out of nine. Their mid-season switch of captaincy from David Warner to Kane Williamson hasn’t worked out. Warner is having trouble with both the bat and the field, and their bowling is still largely reliant on Rashid Khan, while the batsmen are also battling for runs. SRH failed to chase down 126 in a low-scoring match against Punjab Kings.
In the absence of Jos Buttler, the RR batting unit has struggled. Sanju Smason’s and their pacers’ progress is encouraging, but if they are to qualify for the playoffs, they will need contributions from other players as well. RR will be looking to secure 2nd win against SRH this season and secure top 4 positions in the IPL points table.
Head to head
RR and SRH have one of the fiercest rivalries in the IPL, as when their records are compared, there isn’t much to distinguish between them, as both sides have won seven of their 14 meetings. On the other hand, Rajasthan has won three of their last five games. They also won the penultimate match in the first phase of the IPL by 55 runs in a one-sided triumph.
Players to look out for
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey has been one of the positives coming for SRH, as he hi their top score after Bairstow, who couldn’t join the team after phase 1. Manish has scored 223 runs at an average of 37.17 and has been the team’s top run-scorer in the last 4 matches. He would look to continue on his form and bring stability to the SRH top order.
Sanju Samson
Although Sanju Samson has struggled to score runs in Dubai his recent form shows a positive sign in this upcoming match. He has scored 351 runs with an astonishing average of 50.14. Samson has been a lone warrior of their team and will be looking for contributions from his middle-order batters.
Rajasthan’s key to victory
Rajasthan’s spinners have struggled to make an impact, but their fast bowling squad has helped them reclaim their place in the league. Mustafizur’s “Fizz,” combined with solid performances from youthful Kartik and Chetan, bodes well for them. Their quick bowlers have taken 37 of the 42 wickets in total.
Sunrisers key to victory
The Sunrisers, who have only one win in their last nine games, will aim to spoil RR’s celebrations. Sandeep Sharma has so far beaten Samson twice and will go for a third win. They may also start Rashid early to counter Rajasthan’s batsmen. They’ll have to work on their fielding after dropping a few catches the last time they played.
Probable XI
SRH: David Warner/Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed.
RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Liam Livingstone, Sanju Samson (c & wk), David Miller, Mahipal Lomror, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman.