Having started with a defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 campaign, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be aiming for a win against Delhi Capitals in Match 7, at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. RR crashed to a narrow defeat against Punjab Kings on Monday, losing by four runs. Despite a century by captain Sanju Samson, Rajasthan failed to reach the 222-run target set by Punjab. In their upcoming match against DC, RR will be without Ben Stokes. The England all-rounder has been ruled out of the remaining fixtures due to a broken finger. His absence could hurt the team's ambitions in the long run this season, due to his abilities with both bat and ball. Also, the 2019 ICC World Cup winner is a senior member of the squad with tons of experience. Rajasthan will be hoping that other players rise up to the occasion in Stokes' absence, and show consistent form unlike last season, when they finished bottom of the table.
Here are the Rajasthan Royals (RR) players to watch out for:
Sanju Samson
The RR skipper was in amazing form during Match 4 against KL Rahul's Punjab team. Chasing 222 runs, Samson slammed 119 off 63 balls, packed with 12 fours and seven sixes. Although he couldn't lead his side to a win, Samson will be hoping to carry on with his fine form.
Last season, Samson started in a similar way under Steve Smith's captaincy, but soon lost his momentum and followed it up with poor displays. This season, he will be trying to be more consistent. During IPL 2020, he scored 375 runs from 14 matches, packed with three half-centuries. With the added responsibility of leading the franchise, Samson could be RR's star player this season.
Shivam Dube
Having joined Rajasthan ahead of IPL 2021, Shivam Dube is known to be a big hitter of the ball, and is also a good medium pacer. The all-rounder represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) last year, scoring 129 runs from 11 matches. Meanwhile, he also took four wickets.
In the ongoing season, Dube scored 23 runs against Punjab. He also bowled one over, conceding 20 runs.
Chris Morris
Another former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) cricketer, Chris Morris had an impact in UAE last year. Missing the initial fixtures of IPL 2020, he went on to take 11 wickets from nine fixtures. Although he scored a meagre amount of runs last season, he is also known for his capabilities with the bat.
The South African pacer will be hoping to become a mainstay in RR's bowling department in the ongoing season, and has already started on a strong note. Against Punjab Kings, Morris took two wickets in four overs, conceding 41 runs.