Kings XI Punjab will face Rajasthan Royals in Indian Premier League on Sunday. The match is going to be an interesting one because of the current form of both sides. Kings XI Punjab will feel unlucky after losing the first match of the tournament against Delhi Capitals in Super Over. However, they have come back stronger against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next match to solidify their position in the League table. They will be eyeing for another win against Rajasthan Royals in the next match.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals have started their IPL campaign with a thumping win over Chennai Super Kings. They are certainly going to be the dark horse of the tournament.
Pitch Report:
The toss is going to be an important factor in this season. Previously we have seen the captains choosing to chase the total in T20 matches. However, in this tournament, the team batting second is facing problem to chase down the total because of various factors. The pitches are getting slow because of the dew factor. The captains will surely assess the condition ahead of the match and choose batting or bowling first according to their team strength.
Head To Head Record:
Total Matches Played: 19
Kings XI Punjab Won: 9
Rajasthan Royals Won: 10
Predicted Starting XI:
Kings XI Punjab:
Nicholas Pooran, KL Rahul (Captain, wk), Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Karun Nair, Glenn Maxwell, Jimmy Neesham, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cotrell, Murugan Ashwin.
Rajasthan Royals:
Jos Buttler, Yashavi Jaiswal, Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Tewatia, Jaydev Unadkat, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran.
Key Players:
Kings XI Punjab:
KL Rahul
Mayank Agarwal
Rajasthan Royals:
Sanju Samson
Steve Smith
Captain And Vice-Captain Selection:
Captain Choices: KL Rahul, Sanju Samson.
Vice-Captain Choices: Mayank Agarwal, Ravi Bishnoi, Steve Smith, Jos Butter.
Probable Winner: Rajasthan Royals.
The batting unit of Kings XI Punjab is hugely dependent on KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Nicolas Pooran has not been able to make a mark so far in the tournament. That is why the team management might think of bringing Chris Gayle in the starting XI to strengthen their batting order. Jimmy Neesham has been brought in place of Chris Jordan in the previous match and it is assumed that Jimmy Neesham will be holding his place in the starting XI. Their bowling unit is doing quite well. Mohammed Shami has been the key bowler for them. He has been phenomenal in the powerplay overs. KL Rahul’s innings of 132 will certainly give him a mental boost up for the rest of the tournament. Ravi Bishnoi has been another key member of this side. The young leg spinner has already made an impact for his side.
On the other hand, Jos Butter is going to be back in the starting XI of Rajasthan Royals. Jos Butter is probably going to replace David Miller. The batting of Rajasthan Royals will get stronger with the inclusion of Jos Butter. The form of Sanju Samson and Steve Smith will keep the team charged up ahead of this contest.
