IPL 2022: Kings, Royals Look To Pick Up Winning Momentum

Punjab Kings have bagged two wins in their last five games while Rajasthan Royals also faced defeats to Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Although, the Kings stand at seven a win will put them above while Rajashtan Royals will slip down on the points table.

The Kings have 10 points in as many games and a loss will push them further down in the points table.

Rajasthan Royals have 12 points from 10 matches and they are placed at three as of now. But a defeat can cause trouble for Sanju Samson's side and they will have to win all three remaining games. It would be better for both teams to bag a win and avoid qualification scenarios at the backend.

The Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals have played each other 23 times in the IPL. The Royals hold a slight edge with 13 wins against 10 wins of the Kings.

Punjab Kings Must Address Batting Woes

The Kings had a brilliant outing in the last game as they defeated top-of-the-table side Gujarat Titans convincingly by eight wickets. Mayank Agarwal's side will have to execute performance in both departments.

Apart from Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone, most of the Kings' batters have not lived up to the expectations.

Dhawan, 36, has much of the responsibility on his shoulders. The southpaw has struck 369 runs in 10 innings at an average of 46.12, he is also only behind Rajasthan's Jos Buttler (588 runs) and Lucknow Super Giants' skipper KL Rahul (451) in the leading run-scorers chart in the ongoing competition.

Livingstone, the hard-hitter from England, has been the other mainstay for the Kings. The right-hander has scored 293 runs at an average of 32.55 with a blistering strike rate of 186.62. With the three fifties, he is scoring at an average of 32.55.

On the other hand, skipper Mayank Agarwal (161 runs in eight innings) and England's Jonny Bairstow (80 runs in seven innings) must step up as the side needs to have batters' in the form in the important upcoming games.

All Eyes On Jos Buttler

The main reason behind the Royals' success is Jos Buttler's incredible run in the competition. The Englishman has scored 588 runs, the most in this season so far, and is miles ahead of the other batters in terms of dominance at the top.

The right-hander has three centuries in 10 innings and one can expect him to fire again after his bat was quiet in the last game against the Knight Riders.

The second-best batter for the Royals is captain Sanju Samson. The right-hander has made 298 runs at an average of 33.11.

West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer has also stepped into the middle order on a few occasions, the left-hander has made 260 runs at an average of 65. He is striking at a rate of 163.52.

On the other hand, Devdutt Padikkal has had a slight dip in form. In the last three games, his dot percentage at the top has impacted the scores. It won't be surprising if Yashasvi Jaiswal plays in place of Padikkal.

Competition Among Bowlers Of Both Teams

The bowling attack of both sides is filled with quality and also has shown potency throughout.

Kagiso Rabada has been leading the bowling attack for Punjab Kings with 17 wickets in nine games. Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has been instrumental with 12 wickets in 10 games.

Emerging pacer Arshdeep Singh is among the wickets but his bowling in death overs has been noteworthy. The left arm has an economy rate of 6.33.

On the other hand, the Royals' bowlers have performed collectively. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal leads the bowling charts with 19 wickets in 10 games. Veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has not taken wickets but his economy rate of 7.10 has been praiseworthy.

Seamers Prasidh Krishna (12 wickets), Trent Boult (9 wickets ), and Kuldeep Sen (8 wickets) have been quite effective too for the Royals.

Likely Punjab Kings Playing XIs

Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (capt), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma.

Likely Rajasthan Royals Playing XIs

Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (capt, wk), Karun Nair, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen.

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Pitch Report

Wankhede Stadium has suited the batters and the pitch is expected to provide the same on Saturday afternoon. The bowlers may struggle to get some help from the deck. The side winning the toss will prefer to bat second.

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Prediction

RR may have lost their last two games but the team has the capability to beat Punjab Kings. The Kings would be eyeing to get some consistency and they cannot afford to take things lightly given the position they are in. The Royals too would want to get back to the winning ways and clear uncertainty that has popped up, of late.

The Kings rely heavily on the individuals and it has been evident with the way their matches have panned out. They would need their match-winners to contribute big time here and if that happens, the Royals will have their work cut out.

A battle between Punjab's middle-order and Rajasthan's spinners would be a battle to watch out for and the team that holds its nerves will likely come out on top. Considering how the two sides have done in the tournament so far and their respective on-paper combinations, Rajasthan Royals may emerge as the winner.

Viewing the luck at this particular venue, the Kings have played two matches at the Wankhede and have won one and lost the other, while the Royals have played four games and have won two.

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