IPL 2020 | Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Statistical Preview

Form Guide

Rajasthan Royals - W, W, L, NR, W

What a dream run this team has started courtesy the mindblowing Sanju Samson, the skipper Steve Smith leading from the front, and Rahul Tewatia, whose innings swept everyone from their feet. The last match was the testament of the balance of this team, who have allrounder Shreyas Gopal at number 9. Both of their first two matches were high scoring, crossing 400 runs on both occasions. Their batting lineup was comfortable in chasing as well, after winning the opening match batting first, which is a danger sign for Kolkata. 

Kolkata Knight Riders - W, W, L, L, W

After a meak start in this edition of IPL, losing the opening match against Mumbai, KKR showed extreme determination, coming back in the second match, defeating SRH by 7 wickets with 2 overs to spare. On the slow wickets of UAE, their bowling seems one of the most potent this year, with Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine leading them from the front. The inclusion of youngsters Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti provides good depth to the side, so much so that in the last match, 7 bowlers were used by Dinesh Karthik in the whole innings. RR batsmen certainly will be tested against KKR bowlers. 

Key Batsmen

Rajasthan Royals - Sanju Samson

Well, this is very obvious, given the form that Sanju Samson is in. He has been hitting sixes for fun, scoring 159 runs in two matches at a strike rate of more than 200. If anything it would be a huge surprise if Samson fails to get going against KKR. A more valid question will be how many balls he will take to get going as he continues his dominating run in IPL 2020. However, it will be a good test for the youngster to prove his mettle against one of the best bowling teams. 

Kolkata Knight Riders - Shubman Gill

While Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell can decimate any bowling lineup on their day, they bat deep and get less number of balls, making Gill the key batsman for KKR at the opening slot along with Sunil Narine. Shubman Gill couldn’t quite get going in the opening match, a match in which he got out cheaply, but he came back strong in the second match, scoring an unbeaten 70 off 62 balls against SRH. Hence, he will back himself to perform against RR and guide his team home. 

Key Bowlers

Rajasthan Royals - Jofra Archer 

Despite getting only one wicket in the two matches he played so far, Jofra Archer will be the danger man for Rajasthan against KKR. Archer has not been the brutal himself that he is famous for, but he played both the matches on the flat wicket of Sharjah, where 400 runs where scored in both the matches. Now, though, he will be playing on a little less batting-friendly wicket of Dubai, where he will back himself to be the top wicket-taker. 

Kolkata Knight Riders - Pat Cummins

Although Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine make a solid claim to be the top bowler for the Kolkata based franchise, Pat Cummins edges them out to be the key bowler for Dinesh Karthik. After getting belted for 49 runs in 3 overs in the opening match against Mumbai, Cummins made a terrific comeback in the second match, giving away just 19 runs for 1 wicket, hitting the deck hard on a batting-friendly wicket. Hence, Cummins's performance will be crucial to KKR’s winning chances against RR. 

Probable XI

RR: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, David Miller, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer.

KKR: Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

Venue: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai

When to Watch: Sep 30, 7.30 PM IST

Where to Watch: Star Sports Network and Hotstar (in India)