Some defeats are more crushing than others. Sanju Samson desecrated the much-hyped pace attack of Punjab Kings and almost pulled out an improbable victory, virtually on his own. An extraordinary innings concluded in an anti-climactic scene when he got out off the last ball of the match.
It is never easy to overcome the broodiness of losing such a close contest. But the Indian Premier League does not allow cricketers to immerse themselves in those emotions as yet another challenge knocks on the door. Rajasthan Royals will now face Delhi Capitals, on Thursday, 15 April, at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
As if missing Jofra Archer for the initial phase was not enough, RR will now have to play the rest of their matches without Ben Stokes, who has been ruled out from IPL 2021 due to a finger injury. Stokes broke his finger while catching Chris Gayle.
Rajasthan Royals are likely to replace Stokes with the in-form Liam Livingstone, who played a crucial run in Perth Scorchers’ run to the final of Big Bash League 2020-21. He smoked 28 sixes in the tournament, a number exceeded by only Alex Hales. They may also go in with David Miller. Either way, they shall miss Stokes the bowler.
Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, is also set to miss a frontline seamer, Anrich Nortje, who has tested positive for Covid-19. Axar Patel, still recovering from the same, is unlikely to feature in this match. Despite these notable absences, Delhi Capitals appears to be a more settled side as compared to their opponent.
Tom Curran and R Ashwin were a bit wayward and expensive in the last match. However, Avesh Khan, picked ahead of Umesh Yadav, had a terrific game in which he conceded just 23 runs and picked up two wickets. He is likely to retain his place.
Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw as an opening pair is a threatening proposition for the bowlers. Shaw has had a terrific start to the tournament. He scored 72 at a strike rate of almost 190, and he would like to carry on the momentum.
Delhi Capitals have won each of their last five encounters against Rajasthan Royals. They will aim to make it six in a row, while RR will be eyeing their first victory of the season.
Head to head
Both teams are tied with 11 victories each.
Key Players
Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals): Jos Buttler is expected to return to the opening slot. He will be tasked to provide an explosive start to Rajasthan Royals.
Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals): The new Delhi skipper barely broke a sweat as the openers did their job with perfection against CSK. In Iyer’s absence, Pant’s contribution in the middle-order will be crucial for DC.
Likely XIs
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra, Sanju Samson (c & wk), David Miller, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya
Delhi Capitals: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Tom Curran, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan
Prediction
DC is likely to register their second consecutive victory.