“RR peaking at the right time, GT’s performances have gone down” - Mohammad Kaif previews Qualifier 1 of IPL 2022 playoffs

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif reckons that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) seem to be peaking at the right time in IPL 2022 while Gujarat Titans’ (GT) fortunes have taken a bit of a dip in recent games.

Gujarat and Rajasthan will meet in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2022 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, 24 May. While Hardik Pandya-led GT ended the league stage as table-toppers, Sanju Samson guided RR to the second position.

Gujarat got the better of Rajasthan when the IPL teams met in the league stage. However, Kaif feels that the Royals have the edge in the playoff encounter on Tuesday. Previewing the match on Sportskeeda, he opined:

“RR are peaking at the right time. They are learning to win matches even without major contributions from Jos Buttler. It’s a big thing for them. GT’s performances have gone down in recent times. They have lost three of their last five games, two of which have been big defeats, by eight wickets. Gujarat have lost some momentum.”

Rajasthan will head into Qualifier 1 with comprehensive wins over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last two league games. In contrast, Gujarat suffered an eight-wicket hammering at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their previous match.

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“RR did very well at the auction” - Mohammad Kaif

Analyzing Rajasthan’s impressive performances in IPL 2022 so far, Kaif credited the franchise for doing a very good job at the auction by picking match-winning players. He said:

“RR did very well at the auction. The same has reflected in their performances, the way they have played. They are very well-balanced in both batting and bowling.”

Elaborating on the talent in the team, he added:

“Change of players has done the trick for Rajasthan this season. Jos Buttler’s form was excellent in the first half. He played many match-winning knocks. Trent Boult took wickets with the new ball. Prasidh Krishna was also among the wickets. The bowling is a lot more balanced as Ashwin has also made good contributions.”

According to the 41-year-old, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s purchase has done wonders for the team. He explained:

“Yuzvendra Chahal has been exceptional. He doesn’t depend on the pitch for success. He is a wonderful leg-spinner, who has made a big difference. He can bowl anywhere, in the powerplay or the middle overs. Sanju Samson has also utilized him very well.”

Chahal is the current IPL 2022 Purple Cap holder in IPL 2022. He has claimed 26 wickets at an average of 16.53 and an economy rate of 7.67.