Far from the pack involved in the mid-table scrap, Rajasthan Royals will indulge in the prospect of strolling its way into the playoffs when it visits Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium here in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.
Runaway leader Rajasthan has won all three away games so far, and a fourth triumph will take its tally to 16 points, all but sealing a place in the knockouts.
Yashasvi Jaiswal regaining his mojo with an unbeaten 104 in the nine-wicket mauling of Mumbai Indians wiped out the only blemish in Royals’ top order. Captain Sanju Samson would hope to emulate his exploits (82* off 52 balls) from the Royals’ 20-run victory over the Lucknow side earlier this season and stay in the Orange Cap race.
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But Super Giants, high on the twin triumphs over Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will be no pushovers. The K.L. Rahul-led side chased down 180 and 211 in its last two matches to not only rekindle its campaign with four points but also leapfrog CSK to the fourth spot in the points table.
The side will wait with crossed fingers for Mayank Yadav’s return from injury. The pace phenom, who last played against Gujarat Titans on April 7, bowled in the nets on the match eve, and assistant coach S. Sriram was optimistic over his inclusion on Saturday. Mayank’s economy rate of 6.00 will be precious for a misfiring Super Giants’ pace attack.
Should Mayank not make the cut, Ravi Bishnoi, with four wickets and a 7.84 economy this season, will be the bowling spearhead for the home team.
The K.L. Rahul-led side chased down 180 and 211 in its last two matches to not only rekindle its campaign with four points but also leapfrog CSK to the fourth spot in the points table. | Photo Credit: PTI
Taking cognizance of Rahul and Marcus Stoinis’ telling contributions in Super Giants’ two wins, another leg-spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, could be the Royals’ go-to deployment too. This IPL, Rahul’s strike rate has dipped to 93 against leg-spin while Stoinis has fallen to spinners five times in eight innings. Even Keshav Maharaj could offer a favourable match-up and slot back into the starting eleven.
Lower down the order, Royals will seek a solution for Nicolas Pooran. The southpaw has salvaged his side by injecting momentum, hitting at a strike rate of nearly 170 - the highest for a Lucknow batter. Against the most economical side at death in IPL 2024 (9.37), a little help from Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda at this stage could go a long way for Lucknow.
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