RR vs DC Match Preview
The Rajasthan Royals sent Ravichandran Ashwin to open the innings in a bid to give them a quick start but the strategy backfired as he was back in the dugout without disturbing the scorers. Going ahead, they are likely to stay with their tried and tested opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Buttler.
The team has a strong middle order consisting of Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, and Shimron Hetmeyer, which should give them a good amount of confidence. Dhruv Jurel, who made his IPL debut as an impact player played an excellent cameo to get the team close to the finish line.
The bowling is led by Trent Boult, who has been very impressive with the new ball, as well as the spinners who have been brilliant at all stages of the game.
David Warner seems to be in good form and has made scores of 56 and 37, but his opening partner, Prithvi Shaw, hasn’t been able to get going so far. The middle order too hasn’t fired yet. Sarfaraz Khan, who had an excellent time in the domestic circuit before this season hasn’t been able to carry on with that form, while international stars Mitchell Marsh and Rilee Rossouw haven’t been able to justify their price tags.
The team hasn’t found a stable alternative for Rishabh Pant behind the stumps, although Abhishek Porel did a decent job in the last game and will likely get an extension. Axar Patel has lived up to his all-round credentials and while not being the most effective with the ball, has struck some lusty blows with the bat. Kuldeep Yadav has struggled to pick up wickets too.
However, Anrich Nortje did bowl an impressive spell in his debut game last time around and will play an important role here along with Khaleel Ahmed.
Weather Report
The skies are expected to remain overcast with temperatures between 25-30 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Barsapara Stadium is excellent to bat on thanks to the good and consistent bounce on offer. There has been some rain here and the moisture on the pitch will make it difficult for the spinners to get turn. However, there is some amount of grass which makes it possible for the quicker bowlers to get movement.
Notable stats
Riyan Parag - Low Average, High Strike-Rate
Riyan Parag is a handy batsman for the Rajasthan Royals lower down the order and isn’t afraid to take the aerial root in the death overs. He has scored 1482 runs in his T20 career at an average of 25.55 and a strike rate of 133.51. He has the potential to do better but has so far flattered to deceive in the IPL.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
RR vs DC Probable 11
RR Playing 11
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Jos Buttler
- Sanju Samson (C)
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Shimron Hetmeyer
- Jason Holder
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Trent Boult
- KM Asif
- Riyan Parag
DC Playing 11
- David Warner (C)
- Prithvi Shaw
- Rilee Rossouw
- Mitchell Marsh
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Abhishek Porel (Wk)
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Anrich Nortje
- Mukesh Kumar
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Rajasthan Royals to win this encounter. They have a strong opening pair and a lot of big hitters in the middle order. The presence of all-rounders provides depth to their batting and their bowling attack too is pretty well-balanced.
Top Picks
Jos Buttler: One of the most destructive opening batsmen in the IPL, Jos Buttler has scored 9480 runs in his T20 career at an amazing strike rate of 145.13.
David Warner: Another explosive batsman, Warner has scored 11272 T20 runs at an average of 37.69 and a strike rate of 140.81.
Jason Holder: Jason Holder is a reliable middle-order batsman as well as an excellent medium-pace bowler, making him a good pick for such a playing surface. Holder has 204 T20 wickets against his name and has also scored 1847 runs.
RR vs DC Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Buttler (C), S Samson
Batters: D Warner (VC), S Hetmyer, D Padikkal, Y Jaiswal
All-rounders: J Holder, A Patel
Bowlers: T Boult, A Nortje, Y Chahal
