Rajasthan Royals will play against the Punjab Kings in match 4 of the IPL on Sunday, April 12 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Both these teams had a poor run in the IPL 2020 and will be hoping for a change in fortunes this time around.
RR finished the season at the bottom of the table. The Royals will miss the services of their star bowler Jofra Archer due to an elbow injury. Ahead of the IPL 2021, they made some stern decisions, releasing skipper Steve Smith and handing over the captaincy to Sanju Samson.
Punjab Kings have been one of the most inconsistent sides in the IPL since its inception. The last time they made it to the playoffs was back in 2014, and the man who starred for them in that campaign, Glenn Maxwell, was released by the franchise ahead of the auction. Playing with a new name this season, they will hope that this name change brings good fortune for them in IPL 2021.
In anticipation of this cracker of a contest, we take a look at 5 top players who can impact the game.
#1 Chris Morris was picked for a whopping 16.25 Cr
The Royals splurged a massive sum of 16.25 Cr for Chris Morris at the auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. The South African all-rounder has not played much cricket in recent times and will be under pressure to perform given his expensive tag. There is no doubt that Morris is an excellent all-rounder and can do a lot of hitting lower down the order.
Check who is the purple cap holder in ipl 2021 here.
#2 Dawid Malan will make his debut in IPL 2021
With an exceptional T20 average of 50.15, Malan currently sits at the top of the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen. Due to his ability to score runs consistently and at a quick pace, he is termed a T20 specialist. He will be hoping to replicate his impressive performance in the IPL 2021.
#3 Rahul Tewatia will look to continue his IPL 2021 heroics
The left-hander has the ability to win matches alone and RR will definitely be counting on his form if they want to improve on their display from the last campaign. He delivered a top notch performance against the Kings last season in Sharjah, hitting 5 sixes in an over to seal the game for his side. Based on his performance in the IPL in 2020 he even got a call for the Indian T20 international against England.
#4 Ravi Bishnoi had a memorable IPL debut last season
The young lad was a star performer for the Punjab Kings in the IPL in 2020. The 20-year-old leg-spinner picked up 12 wickets in 14 games with an impressive economy rate of 7.37 runs per over. With the T20 World Cup ahead, a stellar season with the Punjab Kings could earn Ravi a spot in the Indian Team.
#5 Nicholas Pooran will be raring to go in IPL 2021
Pooran will have a crucial role to play in the middle order for the Punjab Kings. His explosive batting prowess is well known and can be a nightmare for opposition bowlers once he gets going. With the ball coming nicely on the bat at the Wankhede, Pooran will be looking to wreck havoc right from the first game of the IPL 2021.
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