Indian T20 League 2021: Match 18 – Rajasthan vs Kolkata – MPL Fantasy Cricket Tips, Prediction, Playing XI, and Pitch Report

Match Details

Match 18 – Rajasthan vs Kolkata

Date & Time – April 23, 2021; 7:30 PM IST

Venue – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Preview

Rajasthan will lock horns against Kolkata in match 18 of the ongoing Indian T20 League. Both teams will be playing their fifth match of the season and have lost three matches so far. This game is a chance for one of them to break their losing rut. The Sanju Samson-led side has struggled more due to the unavailability of their overseas players while Kolkata have been simply inconsistent with both bat and ball. Expect this to be a high-scoring game at the Wankhede Stadium.

Probable Playing XIs

Kolkata

Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Rajasthan

Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Shivam Dube, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Chris Morris, Rahul Tewatia, Jaydev Unadkat/Shreyas Gopal, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Top Picks of the Match

Jos Buttler (Rajasthan)

The England wicketkeeper-batsman opens the innings and hasn’t been at his best so far. But the way he batted against Chennai scoring 49 runs off just 35 balls showed that he is not far away from a swashbuckling innings. With Kolkata bowling not looking much confident, this could be the perfect game for Buttler to stamp his authority.

Andre Russell (Kolkata)

The all-rounder from the Caribbean played a special knock against Chennai after his team was struggling at 31/5 at one stage. Russell smashed a half-century in 20-odd deliveries and it seemed that he could’ve won the game for Kolkata single-handedly if not for smart work from Sam Curran. Russell also bowls two overs at the death which makes him a perfect top pick for this match.

X-Factor Player

Chetan Sakariya

The left-arm pacer of the Rajasthan team has already impressed many with his exceptional skills. Sakariya has so far picked six wickets in four matches and looks set to pick more wickets in the upcoming matches. He is the X-Facotr player for this encounter.

Fantasy Teams

Fantasy Playing XI No.1 for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Jos Buttler (C), Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, David Miller, Andre Russell (VC), Chris Morris, Pat Cummins, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya

Fantasy Playing XI No.2 for Grand/Mega Leagues:

Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana (C), Eoin Morgan, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Pat Cummins (VC), Prasidh Krishna, Jaydev Unadkat

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your team, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.