In the 12th match of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at Dubai International Stadium. On Wednesday, both the winning teams from their previous game will look to dominate each other on the pitch.
Rajasthan Royals are on the back of the best-run chase ever in the history of the Indian Premier League. The team chased down a humongous target of 224 at Sharjah International Stadium. Sanju Samson, Steve Smith and Rahul Tewatia played a big role in their victory.
Why the IPL is in many ways even more engaging than international cricket. In World Cups, you'll see the Kohlis and Warners and Russells performing, but it's only in the IPL that a Tewatia or a Natarajan or a Bisla can come from nowhere & become a match winner
And that's special. pic.twitter.com/KImirodUA5— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) September 30, 2020
Rajasthan Royals will look to clinch the top spot in the league after Delhi Capitals succumbed to defeat on Tuesday. However, KKR has the players who can put the full stop on Rajasthan Royals’ dreams. Here are the top three picks for the “Pink Army” who can play a detrimental role against Dinesh Karthik led the side on Wednesday:
#1) Rahul Tewatia
The man. The myth. The legend. All these accolades belong to Rahul Tewatia who went berserk in the 18th over to tilt the game in the favour of Rajasthan Royals. The player was struggling to get going against Kings XI Punjab bowlers and had just 16 runs from 23 balls who was sent to play a cameo by Rajasthan Royals captain, Steve Smith. Everyone, including commentators, were trolling or bashing him for the decision. However, the player waited for his turn. The 18th over was bowled by Sheldon Cottrell. That was it. The opportunity was grabbed by both hands. He stroked five sixes into the corners of the ground. He not only completed the half-century by the end of the next over but also sent the team to a touching distance. Definitely, he will be one of the top three picks for Rajasthan Royals who can be effective with his left-arm spin too.
#2) Jos Buttler
The English wicket-keeper batsman, Jos Buttler played his first game in the Indian Premier League against Kings XI Punjab. However, the outing turned out to be a dismal one as he was sent packing in the initial overs itself. This not only overburdened Sanju Samson and Steve Smith but also the whole batting line-up while chasing a daunting target.
Though he is yet to find his form, Jos Buttler will remain one of the top three picks against Kolkata Knight Riders. The opposition lacks a quality fast bowler and Pat Cummins is yet to find his feet in IPL 2020. Moreover, the pitch at Dubai International Stadium is helpful for stroke-makers and hard hitters. Can Jos Buttler make it count against Dinesh Karthik and co?
#3) Ankit Rajpoot
At Sharjah International Stadium, it was a doomsday for all the bowlers there. The bowlers struggled to control the run flow. Mayank Agarwal and Lokesh Rahul were charging at the bowlers with the phenomenal batting. However, it was only Ankit Rajpoot in the KXIP line-up who conceded less than 10 runs per over from the Rajasthan Royals bowling unit. With boundary lines being stretched and it being bowler-friendly, Ankit Rajpoot will emerge as one of the top three picks against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Kolkata Knight Riders have explosive batsmen in their ranks and to stop them, fast bowlers with variations are the solution. Rajasthan Royals will be keen to see if Ankit can come into the party on Wednesday.
