Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings will clash in the fourth match of the Indian Premier League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium on April 10.
Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings are the last two teams to start their campaign in this 2021 season of the IPL. Both teams have struggled quite a bit in the recent past, and it’s the inconsistency that has haunted them, especially in the last few seasons.
Rajasthan Royals have had a poor run in the last couple of seasons. They finished seventh in the 2019 edition before ending the 2020 season right at the bottom of the points table. Apart from that title win in 2008, RR have never made it to the final and have reached the top four on just three other instances.
However, this season they have tried to plug those holes that troubled them last year. The signing of Chris Morris and Mustafizur to add to Jofra Archer (who will arrive late due to a hand injury) and Andrew Tye shows that RR have taken a step in resolving their death bowling issues. We could have Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler at the top, making it a fiery top-order if you add Sanju Samson to the mix. Thus, RR do look a better-balanced side this time when compared to last season.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings have time and again endured disappointing seasons. In the last three seasons, they had big chances of making it to the playoffs, but their inconsistency cost them, and they faltered in the final stages of the league.
This season, their top-order looks fantastic, and the bowling attack seems to be shaping up well too. However, it is once again the middle-order that might give KL Rahul and Anil Kumble some headaches. There isn’t enough experience and the lack of all-rounders might affect their balance as well. Hence, it’ll be interesting to see which way Punjab go – whether they pick an extra bowler or an extra batsman.
Key Players
2020 was a very good IPL season for Ben Stokes. It was his best season for the RR, especially with the bat. The Durham all-rounder had arrived late, but he did have a pretty significant impact as he was moved up to the top of the order. Stokes relished that role as an opener as he smoked 285 runs in eight innings while striking at 142.50, and he averaged 40.71. Stokes is most likely going to bat at the top once again this year. Add to that his contribution with the ball. His all-roundedness makes him a crucial player for the 2008 IPL champions.
Chris Morris became the most expensive player to be bought in the history of the IPL auctions this time around. RR broke the bank and shelled INR 16.25 crore to avail the South African all-rounder’s services. It is a massive signing as Morris adds to the RR squad depth, and with Jofra Archer unavailable for the initial few matches, his role becomes even bigger. Morris can deliver at the top with the new ball and also at the death. He has a reputation of nailing his yorkers consistently, and he showed glimpses of that in the 2020 season of the IPL. Moreover, his lower-order hitting will be vital as well.
Nicholas Pooran was very impressive in the 2020 edition of this Indian T20 league. The dashing West Indian left-hander smashed 353 runs at an average of 35.30 and a strike rate of 169.71 in that tournament. Punjab Kings will be hoping that Pooran can continue that solid form as their middle-order still seems to be in a mess. After the top four, the batting looks thin and hence, the onus will be on Pooran to be that game-changer and continue to give Punjab that flourish at the death.
The last couple of IPL seasons where Mohammed Shami has been with the Punjab Kings has been his best in his IPL career. He tends to be expensive at times, but he is a wicket-taker. Every single ball, he runs in and bowls his heart out. Last season, he defended a mere six runs in the Super Over against Mumbai to give Punjab another lifeline. In fact, in 2019 and 2020 combined, Shami has picked up 39 wickets, and he will once again be a key bowler for Punjab in this season.
Prediction
Rajasthan Royals will be without their ace fast bowler Jofra Archer who is still recovering from a hand injury. However, they have enough depth in their pace bowling department to cover up for the loss. As far as Punjab are concerned, there are absolutely no fitness or availability issues for them.
Despite that, it might be RR who start as slight favourites heading into this game. Their overall depth and all-round balance are slightly better than Punjab, whose middle-order is still a weak link, and their death bowling might be a real issue once again. The 2014 finalists will hope that their top-order clicks and their overseas fast bowlers alongside Shami step up else it could be another disappointing year for them. For Rajasthan, their top-order needs to fire and their Indian bowlers need to find some consistency.
