| Match Date: | 25th March, Sunday |
| Match Timing: | 8:00 PM |
| Expected Crowd Turnout: | 28,000 |
| Match Venue: | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
The Match 4 of VIVO Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL 2019) will see Rajasthan Royals welcoming Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. All the attention will be on Steve Smith who is making a return to the richest cricket league in the world after the sabbatical due to a ball-tampering incident. The former Australian captain would be looking to put up a strong show after the one-year ban, with one eye on the 2019 ICC World Cup.
Here is the complete analysis of the Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab IPL match:
| Key Players in form | RR- Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, KXIP- KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Sam Curran |
| Weather Conditions | 26℃, 38% Humidity, Winds up to 13 km/hr. |
| Toss Advantage | Team batting first has won three of the five times last season at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. However, traditionally, the team chasing has won 26 out of the 40 games. Thus the winner of the toss should choose to bowl first. |
| Pitch Conditions | Flat, mostly Batting-Friendly. However, a hint of grass on pitch might assist the pacers. |
| Venue Stats (2018) | Average Total: 158 Highest Total: 176/4 (CSK) |
| Ground Size: Eden Gardens | Side Boundaries: 72 m, Down Boundary: 82 m, Back Boundary: 62 m |
| Injury Updates | RR – No major injuries, although Steven Smith could be a doubt because of an elbow injury. Fellow Australian, Ashton Turner will be unavailable owing to international duty with Australia. KXIP – No notable absentees here as well. |
| Home Advantage | Rajasthan Royals |
| Head-to-Head | RR 10-6 KXIP (1 Draw) |
| Form | RR- L W L W W KXIP- L L L L L |
| Playing11 | RR Playing11 Ajinkya Rahane (C), Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler (WK), Ben Stokes, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Varun Aaron KXIP Playing11 Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Varun Chakravarthy, Sam Curran, Mandeep Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin (C), Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Andrew Tye. |
RR vs KXIP Dream11 Prediction 2019
Rajasthan Royals made a strong statement last year by finishing in the top four after serving a two-year ban. They bizarrely lost out to KKR by 25 runs while having lost only four wickets. Nonetheless, the Royals made swift moves in the 2019 IPL Auctions in the hope of overturning their fortunes. The return of Steven Smith will be a big boost for the 2008 IPL winners. This season will anything but a road to redemption for the Australian batsman with the just round the corner World Cup.
His last #VivoIPL game was the final in 2017, and now he is back with an eye on the 🏆 for the Royals.
Who is with @stevesmith49 and #RR in #VivoIPL2019#HallaBol pic.twitter.com/6CsL6kPYwA
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 25, 2019
On paper, the Royals look a very balanced team. They have the experience of Ajinkya Rahane and Steven Smith in the batting lineup. Moreover, they seem to have struck a steal in the form of Australian allrounder Ashton Turner who starred in the international series against India. He could very well provide that much needed X-factor to the team. The presence of Rahul Tripathi, Manan Vohra and Sanju Samson makes for a formidable batting unit. If Ben Stokes can bring back his Midas touch, he can be another match turner in the Royals’ backyard.
Also Read | IPL 2019: 5 Memorable IPL Wins in Previous Seasons
In the bowling department, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Aaron, and Dhawal Kulkarni make for a solid pace attack. On the whole, Royals are a very good side. However, the absence of a quality spinner could hurt them.
KXIP, on the other hand, is also a powerful unit. They possess an hard hitting batting trio of Chris Gayle, David Miller, and Sam Curran. The other three of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Karun Nair make for a balanced batting unit. The bowling duties will be spearheaded by last year’s purple cap winner Andrew Tye with able support coming from Mohammed Shami and Shreyas Gopal. Ravichandran Ashwin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman would take care of the spin department.
The Shers have put in the hard yards in training and they will be raring to go all guns blazing on the 22-yards later tonight!
Visit https://t.co/08s0r1jHsC for more images 📸#SaddaPunjab #KXIP #RRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/pmufauiJKs
— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) March 25, 2019
Although both the teams are well-balanced on paper, considering the home advantage, overall head-to-head record and form, Rajasthan Royals seem to be better placed to win this particular contest.
RR vs KXIP Dream 11 Team 1
Chris Gayle, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul (wk), Steve Smith, Karun Nair, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Andrew Tye, Mohammed Shami, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer.
RR vs KXIP Dream 11 Team 2
Jos Buttler, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Ravichandran Ashwin, Andrew Tye, Jordan Archer, Mohammed Shami.
For more updates on IPL, stay tuned to KreedOn, the voice of Indian sports.
