Rajasthan Royals (RR) continue their ongoing IPL 2024 by taking on Punjab Kings (PBKS). Both sides will lock horns at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, in the 65th game of the tournament on Wednesday, May 15. Currently, RR sit in second place in the standings with eight wins and four losses in 12 matches. With 16 points to their name, the RR are within touching distance of qualification.
From being fairly well-placed to top the points table, Rajasthan Royals (RR) now run the risk of slipping out of the top two after suffering three successive defeats at the pointy end of the tournament. Lucknow Super Giants’ loss to Delhi Capitals means Royals are already through to the playoffs, but they need to win one or two matches to confirm a top-two finish in the league phase.
RR vs PBKS Previous Performances
This feeling, though, of being so near yet so far is not unfamiliar to RR this season. They looked primed to seal a spot in the PlayOffs when they went on to lose three on the trot. They remain the favourites, mind you, to become the second team to qualify even before they take the field (more on that below), notwithstanding how they have been guilty of sweating the last mile.
But as Parag said, the defeats haven’t meant that his side has “done everything wrong” in those games. Perhaps a change of venue then, with its promise of high scores after Chennai, couldn’t have come at a better time. On the other hand, the Punjab Kings have already been disqualified from the tournament. With four wins and eight losses, the Kings find themselves in 10th place and became the second team to bow out of the competition.
For the eliminated Punjab Kings, playing a match that will have no bearing on their qualification must feel like a bad habit, for it’s been a decade since they have made it to the PlayOffs. No other team has had to wait longer. But it is what it is and all they would want from this match is an encore from last year, when they beat RR at this very venue by five runs. Fortunately, they boast of wins in their last three away fixtures – Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Chennai – and a lot of this game will be how much “away” they can make this for RR.
RR vs PBKS Head to Head
RR 16 – 11 PBKS. Since 2020, RR have won 6 of the 8 matches between the sides.
| Matches Played | 27 |
| Rajasthan Royals won | 16 |
| Punjab Kings Won | 11 |
| No Result | 00 |
RR vs PBKS Pitch Report
Guwahati, with its shiny black-soil pitches, has been a high-scoring venue lately despite 70-meter square boundaries, with the average first-inning total in the last four T20 matches here being a shade over 213. Parag expects much of the same this time around too, with dew playing a crucial part in his opinion. The effects of it were on show in the last T20I played at this venue, when India’s 222/3 wasn’t enough against Australia and Glenn Maxwell.
This will be the first of two matches in Guwahati in IPL 2024. Only two games have been played at this venue so far in the IPL, with the team batting first winning on both occasions. There is a forecast for thunderstorms during the day, but the weather might clear up later in the evening.
The surface at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati is quite batting-friendly. A high-scoring encounter could be quite the possibility, and opting to bat first after winning the toss could be a wise decision.
RR vs PBKS Who will replace Buttler for RR
From being fairly well-placed to top the points table, Rajasthan Royals now run the risk of slipping out of the top two after suffering three successive defeats at the pointy end of the tournament. Lucknow Super Giants’ loss to Delhi Capitals means Royals are already through to the playoffs, but they need to win one or two matches to confirm a top-two finish in the league phase.
Jos Buttler’s departure to England for T20 World Cup duty has further complicated their path to the playoffs. It also remains to be seen whether Shimron Hetmyer has recovered sufficiently after missing Royals’ last two games with injury. Rovman Powell, who failed to finish chases against Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, didn’t even make the side as an Impact Player against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
How can Royals fill the Buttler-sized hole at the top? They can yank Tom Kohler-Cadmore from the bench or bump Dhruv Jurel up the order. While Kohler-Cadmore is now a regular in other T20 leagues around the world, he is yet to play a T20 in India. And while Jurel often opens for Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, he has opened the batting just once in T20 cricket. As for Punjab Kings, they are no longer in contention for the playoffs and their only incentive now is to avoid the wooden spoon.
RR vs PBKS Team news and Impact Player strategy
RR vs PBKS In the spotlight: Riyan Parag and Jitesh Sharma
After having reeled off a world-record seven fifties in a row for Assam in the 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, Riyan Parag returns to Guwahati for his third match at the venue in the IPL. After having managed only 20 at No.6 against PBKS last season in Guwahati, the local boy has a chance to go bigger this time, given his recent form at No.4. He is 100 runs away from drawing level with Ruturaj Gaikwad as the second-highest run-getter this season, with Virat Kohli being the only batter to top 600 runs this season so far.
Jitesh Sharma began the IPL as India’s incumbent T20 keeper-batter, but his form nosedived so sharply that he was dropped for the upcoming World Cup. He has scored only 133 runs in ten innings this season at an average of 13.30 and a strike rate of under 125. His strike rate is the third lowest – behind Sam Curran (116.29) and Ajinkya Rahane (120.11) – among batters who have played at least ten innings this IPL. Can he remedy those numbers and end this IPL with a bang.
RR vs PBKS Vital Stats that matters
- Arshdeep Singh has a favorable match-up against Yashaswi Jaiswal in T20s, having dismissed him twice in 20 balls while conceding only 26 runs. Arshdeep vs Powell, though, is a more action-packed match-up: 56 runs off 28 balls with three dismissals.
- Boult has played more than ten games at seven different opponents in the IPL. His average (43.6) and economy rate (9.98) are both at their worst against PBKS.
- Yuzvendra Chahal has had a season of two chunks with the ball. In his first six matches, he picked up 11 wickets at an average of 14.81 and an economy rate of 7.40. In the next six, he took just four wickets, with the average climbing up to 68.75 and economy rate to 11.45.
- Sanju Samson is three hits away from 300 T20 sixes.
RR vs PBKS Probable Playing XIs
Rajasthan Royals:
Yashaswi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Sub: Sandeep Sharma
Punjab Kings:
Jonny Bairstow (WK), Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran (C), Ashutosh Sharma, Chris Woakes, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Sub: Vidwath Kaverappa
RR vs PBKS Fantasy XI : Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Riyan Parag, Harshal Patel, Trent Boult, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma.
RR vs PBKS Probable Best Performers of the Match
Probable Best Batter:
Sanju Samson: He could be the best batter in the upcoming game against Punjab. With 389 runs in his last 10 matches, Samson has been one of Royals’ highest run-getters in the IPL 2024, and his knock could be crucial for the side in the upcoming clash.
Probable Best Bowler: Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel: He could be the best bowler in the upcoming game against Rajasthan Royals. With 17 wickets in his last 10 matches, Harshal Patel has been in exceptional form and is one of the best-performing bowlers of the tournament. His showing against Rajasthan Royals could be crucial.
RR vs PBKS Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Rajasthan Royals win the toss and bat
Power Play score – 70-80
First Innings Score – 215-225
Rajasthan Royals win the match
Scenario 2
Punjab Kings win the toss and bat
Power Play score – 60-70
First Innings Score – 200-210
Rajasthan Royals win the match