Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be looking to perform better with the bat when they take on an inspired Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) side in match 54 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. RR were restricted to only 90 runs in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their previous match, which RR eventually lost by eight wickets and 70 balls to spare. The batting line-up let Samson down as MI bowlers went through without much hassle.
However, Samson could again go with the same final eleven with only Kartik Tyagi coming back. RR are placed seventh with five wins in 13 games while KKR are at the fourth spot with six wins.
Here are the players we think might be included in RR XI for their game against KKR:
Evin Lewis: Evin Lewis has silenced his critics with a strong batting performance against slow bowlers this season. In 5 matches, Lewis has 151 runs and has combined well with youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: It has been a mixed tournament for Jaiswal so far. He has hit the purple patches on occasions, giving RR off to good starts but has also failed in crunch situations. 249 runs in 9 games screams a lot of potential and skipper Samson will be hoping Jaiswal delivers often.
Sanju Samson: Samson's individual batting performances have been good but as a leader, he seemed to be still looking for hard answers. After an overwhelming loss to MI, he will be aiming for a comeback win vs KKR.
Shivam Dube: Dube continues to be a key part of this RR team because of his all-round abilities. However, he seems to have lost a bit of the touch with the ball this season, bowling only three overs in total without a wicket.
Glenn Phillips: Phillips has got only two opportunities to play yet and has amassed only 18 runs so far. Samson will be looking for more healthier contributions from Phillips in the matches to come.
David Miller: Miller's lack of form has troubled RR in the middle overs as well as the death , where they need a finisher along with Morris to finish things off in style. He has scored 124 runs in 9 matches in IPL 2021.
Rahul Tewatia: Tewatia's 111 runs and 7 wickets haven't yet proved to be a game-changer apart from a couple of games. His captain needs the all-rounder to take more responsibility and deliver when the team needs it the most.
Kartik Tyagi: Tyagi has been one of the finds for RR this season. The youngster is only becoming better and better with each passing game and has matured immensely looking at his performances in crunch matches.
Shreyas Gopal: Gopal will be aiming to get going in the wicket column and also contribute with the bat as well lower-down the order.
Chetan Sakariya: Sakariya has bowled tight lines and lengths throughout IPL 2021 which has helped him register 13 wickets in 13 games.
Mustafizur Rahman: Rahman is another key left-arm fast bowler who remains a crucial cog in Samson's starting line-up due to his T20 expertise in death bowling.