Two of the less fancied team will meet in the second encounter of the day in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Kings XI Punjab will play host to Rajasthan Royals and both the teams will be desperate to secure the two points that are on offer in the match. Kings XI have been playing some fantastic cricket off late and from number eight position they have climbed up to number five. Though their captain, Adam Gilchrist is missing from the team, his young troops have stepped up to the occasion.
Rajasthan Royals have a different story all together. They started the tournament in prime manner but have lost a number of matches in the recent past. They will be desperate to get back to the winning ways if they want to have any chance qualifying for the playoffs.
Let’s have a look at some of the players who can make the difference in today’s match.
Kings XI Punjab:
Shaun Marsh: Marsh hasn’t made an impact that is expected from him. He has been one of the success stories of IPL and a lot depends on him. He bats fluently and likes to play big innings for his team. The team from Punjab will be hoping that this talented Aussie can get his touch back.
Mandeep Singh: This young Punjab batsman has impressed everyone with his batting. He has played some good innings at the top of the order and will be hoping to do the same in today’s match. The best thing about his batting has been that he has scored his runs at a good strike rate.
Azhar Mahmood: He bowled beautifully in the last match that he played and was awarded the man of the match for his bowling efforts. He is a very experienced T20 cricketer and has played in almost all the conditions. He is a very good batsman as well and that makes him deadly dangerous.
Piyush Chawla: He has one of the best economy-rates in the tournament so far. He has bowled some beautiful spells and has played a key role in some of Punjab’s win. Chawla is mighty effective with the bat as well.
Rajasthan Royals:
Ajinkya Rahane: He is the current holder of the orange cap and he has achieved that with playing proper cricket shots. Rahane is a class player and never slogs. His batting is simply beautiful to watch. Rajasthan will be hoping that this young sensation can play one more match winning innings, as they really need it.
Brad Hodge: The mighty Australian has played some good little innings and will be hoping to play a big innings for a side that has put so much faith in his abilities. Hodge is a big hitter of the cricket ball and can clear any boundary.
Shane Watson: Watson is a genuine all-rounder and is mighty effective with both bat and ball. He will know that a lot depends on him because Rajasthan has a very in-experienced fast bowling attack.
Pankaj Singh: He is a very experienced bowler in the domestic circuit and has bowled some good spells in this year’s IPL. He is very tall and can generate steep bounce from any pitch. Mohali pitch always has something for the fast bowler and Pankaj Singh will be raring to have a go at the Punjab batsmen.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
