Rajasthan aim for turnaround with new recruits
Both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals are stuck in a mid-table tussle on six points as the teams head to the second half of IPL 2021. The play-offs aren’t too distant for either team, but it will take a good start to propel them towards it.
Punjab Kings’ inconsistency continued in this IPL as they muddled up team selections and struggled to find the balance – they were often saved by KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal at the top with the bat… Throughout due to the absence of a strong all-rounder. They played eight games and returned with just three wins. At one point, they lost three games in a row but then recovered towards the latter half to go up to sixth on the points table. Punjab have odds of 1.87 to win this game.
Rajasthan Royals were not too different either. They lost key players in Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes this season and struggled with fitness issues to other players. Sanju Samson’s dynamic batting and captaincy were instrumental in ensuring Rajasthan did not sink further. They were a tad unlucky to lose a couple of tight games and have three wins and four losses with their net run rate at -0.190. The 2008 IPL champions have added some versatile T20 players in Liam Livingstone and Glenn Phillips and have winning odds of 1.84 for this game.
Overall and recent records favour Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals are ahead on the head to head count against Punjab Kings. They have 12 wins while Punjab have 10. Earlier this season, it was Punjab who eked out a four-run win in a high-scoring thriller between these sides.
RECOMMENDED BET The current form and revamped team favours Rajasthan Royals and they can be backed to win this game with odds of 1.84.
Despite losing key personnel ahead of the season, Rajasthan were proactive in acquiring some of the best talent in the T20 circuit. Livingstone comes off a stellar showing in The Hundred tournament in England and the T20 Blast. Glenn Phillips is a great middle-order option and plugs a hole RR needed to iron out badly. Evin Lewis had a stellar run in the CPL recently and could replace Buttler at the top.
Keep an eye on…
KL Rahul: The PBKS skipper continued piling on the runs this year. He racked up more than 500 runs in each of the previous three seasons and is all set to replicate that in 2021. He has amassed 331 runs at an average of 66.20. His form will be crucial to PBKS’ chances in this game.
Chris Morris: The South African all-rounder will be the key for RR with the ball if they are to restrict Punjab. He took 14 wickets in seven games in the first leg, averaging 16 with the ball and struck once every 11 deliveries. Morris can also change the game with the bat as he showed a couple of times in April-May.
TIP Evin Lewis is in outrageous form and the decks in UAE should suit his taste. Back Evin Lewis at 3.65 to be RR’s top batter.
