Rajasthan Royals will take on in-form Kings XI Punjab on Sunday in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab are back on the victory and will look to extend the winning run in the 13th edition.
Steve Smith and Sanju Samson took the matter into their hands against Chennai Super Kings and laid the foundation for Rajasthan’s big total. However, Steve Smith has to worry about his middle-order which failed and the momentum shifted towards Chennai Super Kings. Jofra Archer came into the rescue in the final over of the innings with his superficial batting.
Get in the Royals vibe. 💗🔹
Now shipping our matchday jersey 👉 https://t.co/NDkRD2b4l5#RRvKXIP | #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily pic.twitter.com/pjBX38bJNq
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 27, 2020
Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Tewatia picked the wicket in the middle overs for the Rajasthan outfit. The Pink Army will look to repeat the same performance on Sunday against KL Rahul led Punjab.
Here are the top three picks for Rajasthan Royals who can turn the game on their head against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday:
#1) Steve Smith
The Australian international played an important role against Chennai Super Kings in their first game of the campaign. The captain led the team from the front by registering a half-century. Steve Smith is well known for batting against swing and spin bowlers too. Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell played a crucial role against Punjab’s victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The fast bowling duo rattled RCB’s top order, reducing their three wickets for four runs. Rajasthan Royals will vary of that and Steve Smith has a big contribution to make. The team will expect once again from one of the top three picks of Rajasthan Royals to perform against in-form KXIP.
#2) Sanju Samson
The young wicket-keeper batsman has made the Indian Premier League of his own. The player took the opposition in his hands, especially Piyush Chawla and Ravindra Jadeja. Sanju is a good player of swing and spin both and adds a flair at the top order. With Jos Buttler back in the side, Sanju Samson will have more freedom to express himself against Kings XI Punjab.
When he faces KXIP, the player will look to continue the momentum and prove himself as an alternative to Rishab Pant. The consistency has been a major issue for Samson and will look to get rid of the issue on Sunday.
#3) Jofra Archer
The England international’s four sixes from four deliveries at the end of the game proved to be detrimental against Chennai Super Kings. Not only he rattled the opposition with his quickfire 27 but also with his fast bowling too. Jofra Archer was steaming against CSK and provided the early breakthroughs on the day. Also, he contained Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Faf du Plessis in the death overs too.
Being one of the top picks of the game, Jofra Archer will aim for the purple cap by scalping the wickets of KXIP batsmen on Sunday.
