Abu Dhabi: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) would be looking to continue their winning juggernaut when they face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Friday (October 30).
Kings XI Punjab have had a majestic turnaround after spending more than half the season at the bottom of the points table. After winning just once in their first six IPL 20 games, KL Rahul and co have now won five games on the trot, a sequence of results that has coincided with the introduction of Chris Gayle in their playing XI.
Moreover, the Kings XI Punjab bowlers have also delivered the goods in recent IPL 2020 games, with Chris Jordan complementing Mohammed Shami well in the bowling attack. Adding Nicholas Pooran and Arshdeep Singh to the equation only boost up the deal for Kings XI Punjab. With Mayank Agarwal set to return to the playing XI, the franchise will fancy their chances of a sixth consecutive win on Friday.
However, Kings XI Punjab face a challenge in the form of Rajasthan Royals, who come into the game on the back of a stunning eight-wicket win against defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians.
With Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson striking form at the right time, the Royals could prove to be a handful for Gayle and Rahul. The RR have a resourceful bowling unit led by Jofra Archer, who has been sensational with the new ball and in the death overs. However, they will hope for a better performance from Tyagi and Gopal if they have to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The reverse fixture between the two sides in IPL 2020 was a classic, where Rahul Tewatia’s heroics saw Rajasthan Royals home in a high-scoring thriller. Another entertaining encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is waiting as both sides eye a top-four finish. With two valuable points up for grabs, we should be in for a cracking contest to kickstart the final week of the IPL 2020 campaign.
Rajasthan Royals Squad: Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith(c), Sanju Samson(w), Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Aaron, Jaydev Unadkat, David Miller, Aniruddha Joshi, Manan Vohra, Tom Curran, Andrew Tye, Shashank Singh, Mahipal Lomror, Oshane Thomas, Mayank Markande, Anuj Rawat, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Akash Singh.
