RAJ vs PUN Match Prediction: Rajasthan Royals are just one win away from confirming their qualification for the playoffs while Punjab Kings are already out of the playoffs race. The Kings will have nothing to lose here and can play with freedom. Royals won the reverse fixture between these teams, played earlier at Mullanpur. Home team Rajasthan Royals will start this match as favourites.
League: Indian Premier League 2024
Match: Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings
Date: 15th May, 2024
Time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Rajasthan Royals are having an excellent IPL season overall but three consecutive defeats have ringed alarm bells for them. Although they are pretty much into the playoffs, but a win here will solidify their place. Moreover, they will be aiming for a spot among the top two teams. With Buttler gone, the onus will be on Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag to lead the batting charge. Dhruv Jurel and Rovman Powell are two capable finishers down the order. On the bowling front, they will expect early wickets from Trent Boult. Sandeep Sharma has been excellent in all the phases so far while the experienced spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin could be crucial in the middle overs.
Punjab Kings have already been eliminated from IPL 2024. They are at the bottom of the points table currently and will look to avoid the wooden spoon. Their batters have been inconsistent all season. While Jonny Bairstow has scored runs in the last few games, Prabhsimran Singh has been unable to convert his starts into big ones. Shashank Singh has been the star for them but skipper Sam Curran is having a disappointing season with both bat and ball. Punjab look slightly thin on the bowling attack and will require Arshdeep Singh to lead from the front. Fast bowler Nathan Ellis could finally get a game as well The Kings will be aiming to finish their season on a high.
Rajasthan Royals can bring in Nandre Burger or Keshav Maharaj as the impact player depending upon the pitch when they are bowling.
Punjab Kings can bring in Vidwath Kaverappa as the impact player when they are bowling.
The match will be played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. It will be the first game of the season on this ground, so it is unknown how the pitch will play. But expect a good surface for batting.
The temperature will be 26 degrees during the match. There is 38% chance of rain and it can play spoilsport.
Sanju Samson – The RR captain has been in excellent form throughout the season. Samson has been consistently scoring runs right from the start of the season. He is currently fifth on the list of top run-getters for this season with 486 runs in 12 matches so far at an average of 60.75.
Harshal Patel – Harshal Patel started the season on a disappointing note but has picked up form since the last few games. He is executing his slower balls well and has been lethal at the death. Patel has picked up 20 wickets in 12 matches, which is the joint-highest along with Jasprit Bumrah currently.
Riyan Parag – Parag has been in brilliant form in IPL 2024. He scored a valiant 47* in the last game on a pitch where other batters struggled. This is his home ground and he will look to score big here. He has scored 483 runs in 12 matches so far at an average of 60.37.
Yashasvi Jaiswal – Jaiswal hasn’t been consistent with the bat this season. But he is capable of scoring big ones on his day. In the absence of Buttler, he will be expected to play a big innings at the top. The left-hander has scored 344 runs in 12 matches at an average of 31.27.
Jonny Bairstow – Bairstow has been in good form since the last few games. He can be a dangerous batter in the powerplay and scores big once he gets set. He has scored 284 runs in 10 matches so far at an average of 31.55.
Shubham Dubey – The left-hander has shown glimpses of his talent but is likely to bat lower down the order. He might not make much impact and can be avoided for this game.
Ashutosh Sharma – Ashutosh was impressive in the initial few games but has been unable to replicate his earlier form in the last few games. He might not get to face many balls and can be avoided for this game.
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Rajasthan Royals are just one win away from confirming their qualification for the playoffs while Punjab Kings are already out of the playoffs race. The Kings will have nothing to lose here and can play with freedom. Royals won the reverse fixture between these teams, played earlier at Mullanpur. Home team Rajasthan Royals will start this match as favourites.
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