Can red-hot Royals make it 5-0 against struggling Titans?
Written by I Dig Sports
Match Details
Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Gujarat Titans (GT)
Jaipur, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)
Big Picture: Can Rashid stop Royals from making it 5/5?
The only unbeaten side in the competition, Rajasthan Royals have both batting and bowling going right for them. But can Rashid Khan pose a threat to the table toppers' unbeaten streak?
That aside, both sides have struggled to maximise their powerplays. Royals have a run rate of 7.70 in the first six overs, while Titans have gone at 8.26. But while the Royals have flipped a switch after that, striking at over 10, the Titans have struggled. Their run rate of 8.23 after the powerplay is the worst among all teams.
Titans are seventh on the points table with a 2-3 record, and against the table-toppers, a stiff challenge naturally awaits. Another defeat would leave them languishing towards the bottom but a victory away from home will lift them into the mid-table logjam.
Form guide: Consistent Royals, inconsistent Titans
Royals: WWWW (IPL 2024; most recent match first)
Titans: LLWLW
Team news and Impact Player strategy
Rajasthan Royals
Likely XII 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Shubham Dubey
Gujarat Titans
It's unclear whether Wriddhiman Saha and David Miller are fit for the match, though Miller did train on Monday evening. With Vijay Shankar out of form, Titans could bring in Shahrukh Khan or Abhinav Manohar to bulk up the middle order. They could also think about Matthew Wade in place of Kane Williamson, who has looked sluggish in two games. Wade also provides a wicket-keeping option, especially if Saha remains unavailable. Mohit Sharma has consistently been Titans' designated Impact swap.
Likely XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Sai Sudharsan, 3 Kane Williamson/Matthew Wade, 4 BR Sharath (wk), 5 Vijay Shankar/Abhinav Manohar, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Darshan Nalkande, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Spencer Johnson, 12 Mohit Sharma
In the spotlight: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Noor Ahmad
Stats that matter
- Buttler has a strike rate of 206.66 against Mohit but has fallen to him twice in three IPL innings.
- Samson has fallen to Rashid just once in 13 IPL innings and scored 111 runs off him in 96 balls.
- Gill has never been dismissed by R Ashwin in the IPL in seven innings and smashed him for 95 runs in 58 balls.
- Yuzvendra Chahal needs five wickets to become the first bowler in the IPL to reach 200 wickets.
- Titans have a 4-1 record over Royals in the IPL.
Pitch and conditions
Jaipur has been one of the most high-scoring venues this season, with scores of 180 breached in four of the six innings. The ball has come on rather well, but there could be some help for the spinners. It is expected to be a hot afternoon, with the temperatures falling to around 27 to 30 degrees in the evening.
Quotes
It is more of a worry for the other team that he is going to fire soon. It is good that we have won and he hasn't got the runs. There is absolutely nothing wrong.Assistant Coach Trevor Penney is not worried about Yashasvi Jaiswal's lack of runs
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
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