AS THINGS STAND
With 6 wins from 10 matches and 12 points, we are handsomely placed at the 3rd position of the IPL 2019 table. The race to make it to the playoffs is in full swing now.
Our boys are in no mood to take things lightly. The win at home against KXIP has boosted the morale in the camp exponentially. We would want to keep the momentum and take another step towards securing a playoff spot as we lock horns with Rajasthan in Jaipur. There is no time to relax just yet.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals did not have the greatest starts to their campaign. They won just 1 of their initial 6 matches. However, 2 wins out of their previous 3 games has given them some resurgence. The Royals are currently placed at 7th position of the table with 6 points on board.
FACT OF THE MATTER
The fact that both the teams are coming into this fixture on the back of wins is bound to make this one a highly competitive encounter.
Ponting and his troops will also take belief from the fact that they have won 4 out of their 5 away matches thus far. The away pitches are not as tricky as the one at Kotla.
The pitch at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has proven to be sluggish. However, dew might come into play during the 2nd half of the game which might make scoring runs a little easier. Overall, the track is known to support spinners.
The Royals have lost as many as 22 wickets to spin this season. This is the most by any side. Our three-spin attack of Sandeep, Mishra and Axar Patel can prove to be deadly against them as they are all smart operators.
STAT GURU:
A) Head to Head:
Matches: 18
Won by Delhi Capitals: 7
Won by Rajasthan Royals: 11
Tied: 0
B) Form Guide:
Delhi Capitals: W L W W W
Rajasthan Royals: W L W L L
C) Approaching Milestones:
35: Runs required by Prithvi Shaw to complete 500 IPL runs.
1: 1 more catch and Shikhar Dhawan will complete 100 catches in T20s
2: Ishant Sharma is two wickets away from 100 T20 wickets
THE GAME-CHANGERS
Dhawan's good form has eased the pressure on the other batsmen. Being a senior player, Shikhar has consistently led from the front. His strategy of taking the attack to the opposition during the powerplay has worked wonders in the past few matches.
The southpaw has got six 30+ scores this IPL, which is the most by any batsman. Shikhar holds a good track record against Rajasthan as well. He has amassed 415 runs in 15 innings against them at an average of 31.92. He also has four fifties against the Rajasthan-based franchise.
Amit Mishra is the leading wicket taker against Rajasthan Royals with 27 wickets. Furthermore, the experienced spinner has nabbed those wickets in just 17 matches at an average of 16.22.
Sandeep Lamichhane has been the standout spinner for us and continues to give positive contributions by providing breakthroughs at crucial stages. Sandy has picked up 8 wickets in the 5 matches he has played thus far. He will be raring to take his tally of wickets to double digits as we square off against Rajasthan. Lamichhane’s 3 wickets in our previous game against the Kings XI proved to be vital and changed the game completely.
Ajinkya Rahane holds an enviable record against the Delhi Capitals. Out of the 16 matches played against us, Rahane has amassed 677 runs at an average of 61.55 and a Strike rate of 129.94. He also has six fifties to his name against us.
17-year-old Riyan Parag played a match-winning knock of 43 in RR's previous game against MI. Riyan would have gained a lot of confidence from this knock. The fearless all-rounder would back himself to do well in the upcoming match as well.
Probable Starting XI:
Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Colin Ingram, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma.
There is a high probability of going with an unchanged XI. The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium has been sluggish so having three spinners in the side could be an advantage.
*The above playing XI is just an educated judgement of the author. The final playing XI always rests in the hands of the Team Management.
AS THINGS STAND
With 6 wins from 10 matches and 12 points, we are handsomely placed at the 3rd position of the IPL 2019 table. The race to make it to the playoffs is in full swing now.
Our boys are in no mood to take things lightly. The win at home against KXIP has boosted the morale in the camp exponentially. We would want to keep the momentum and take another step towards securing a playoff spot as we lock horns with Rajasthan in Jaipur. There is no time to relax just yet.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals did not have the greatest starts to their campaign. They won just 1 of their initial 6 matches. However, 2 wins out of their previous 3 games has given them some resurgence. The Royals are currently placed at 7th position of the table with 6 points on board.
FACT OF THE MATTER
The fact that both the teams are coming into this fixture on the back of wins is bound to make this one a highly competitive encounter.
Ponting and his troops will also take belief from the fact that they have won 4 out of their 5 away matches thus far. The away pitches are not as tricky as the one at Kotla.
The pitch at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has proven to be sluggish. However, dew might come into play during the 2nd half of the game which might make scoring runs a little easier. Overall, the track is known to support spinners.
The Royals have lost as many as 22 wickets to spin this season. This is the most by any side. Our three-spin attack of Sandeep, Mishra and Axar Patel can prove to be deadly against them as they are all smart operators.
STAT GURU:
A) Head to Head:
Matches: 18
Won by Delhi Capitals: 7
Won by Rajasthan Royals: 11
Tied: 0
B) Form Guide:
Delhi Capitals: W L W W W
Rajasthan Royals: W L W L L
C) Approaching Milestones:
35: Runs required by Prithvi Shaw to complete 500 IPL runs.
1: 1 more catch and Shikhar Dhawan will complete 100 catches in T20s
2: Ishant Sharma is two wickets away from 100 T20 wickets
THE GAME-CHANGERS
Dhawan's good form has eased the pressure on the other batsmen. Being a senior player, Shikhar has consistently led from the front. His strategy of taking the attack to the opposition during the powerplay has worked wonders in the past few matches.
The southpaw has got six 30+ scores this IPL, which is the most by any batsman. Shikhar holds a good track record against Rajasthan as well. He has amassed 415 runs in 15 innings against them at an average of 31.92. He also has four fifties against the Rajasthan-based franchise.
Amit Mishra is the leading wicket taker against Rajasthan Royals with 27 wickets. Furthermore, the experienced spinner has nabbed those wickets in just 17 matches at an average of 16.22.
Sandeep Lamichhane has been the standout spinner for us and continues to give positive contributions by providing breakthroughs at crucial stages. Sandy has picked up 8 wickets in the 5 matches he has played thus far. He will be raring to take his tally of wickets to double digits as we square off against Rajasthan. Lamichhane’s 3 wickets in our previous game against the Kings XI proved to be vital and changed the game completely.
Ajinkya Rahane holds an enviable record against the Delhi Capitals. Out of the 16 matches played against us, Rahane has amassed 677 runs at an average of 61.55 and a Strike rate of 129.94. He also has six fifties to his name against us.
17-year-old Riyan Parag played a match-winning knock of 43 in RR's previous game against MI. Riyan would have gained a lot of confidence from this knock. The fearless all-rounder would back himself to do well in the upcoming match as well.
Probable Starting XI:
Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Colin Ingram, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma.
There is a high probability of going with an unchanged XI. The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium has been sluggish so having three spinners in the side could be an advantage.
*The above playing XI is just an educated judgement of the author. The final playing XI always rests in the hands of the Team Management.
