The group stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reached its fag end. The 50th game of the round-robin league stage is going to be a sumptuous one with Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) facing off in a knockout-like affair.
KXIP is sitting pretty at the fourth place in the Points Table, with 12 points in 12 games. KL Rahul’s men are currently on a roll with a five-match winning streak behind them. They need to win their next two games to confirm their berth in the Playoffs.
RR’s qualification scenario, on the other hand, will be dependent on other teams. The Steve Smith-led team is languishing at the seventh place, with 10 points in the 12 games. With two games to go, the best RR can reach is 14 points and hope they hold a better net run-rate than other teams competing for the fourth place.
The positive for Royals is Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson’s return to form. RR had their fair share of problems in the batting department which they looked to cover up in their massive win over table-toppers Mumbai Indians (MI).
That said, both KXIP and RR are expected to be hungry for a couple of points on offer. A loss here would dent the chances of qualification for both teams. Albeit, KXIP look favourites to win the encounter due to the momentum and form they’re carrying in prior to the game.
KXIP is coming off a thumping win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and should be buoyant about the contributions put forward by ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle, the absence of Mayank Agarwal.
In conclusion, the game is set to provide edge-of-the-seat action with both teams donning a do-or-die intent.
Orange Cap KL Rahul’s efforts with the bat would be influential in the result of the game for KXIP. A big knock from the skipper has been due for a while now. His clash against Jofra Archer’s hostile spell could be a mouthwatering event.
Predicted XI
KXIP:
KL Rahul (c & wk), Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
RR:
Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Sanju Samson (wk), Jos Buttler, Steven Smith (c), Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot, Kartik Tyagi.
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