IPL 2018, Match 17, CSK vs RR - Rajasthan Royals Predicted XI

The stage is all set for the encounter between the two returning franchises of the Indian Premier League. The Chennai Super Kings are set to lock horns with the Rajasthan Royals in a big game in IPL 2018. Considering the current dynamics of the points table, both sides would be desperate to register a win in the game to take the early advantage in the tournament.

Coming in to the game, both teams will enter the contest having faced defeats in their respective previous games. While the margin of defeat for the Chennai Super Kings was very slender, the Rajasthan Royals were thumped convincingly in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Interestingly, the match will be played in Pune, the new home venue of Chennai Super Kings. It will be an unknown territory for both sides. The Royals, having been outplayed in the previous game in all departments, have a lot to think about before entering the match. They will have to sit back and rework their strategies as they were all over the place in Jaipur on Wednesday night.

Here is the Rajasthan Royals Predicted XI for the match:

Openers (Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi)

The only thing that went in the favor of Rajasthan Royals in the game against the Kolkata Knight Riders was their opening combination. D Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane were the only ones who had crossed the 30-run mark on the day. Despite this, there is a big possibility that the Royals could change their opening combination for the upcoming game.

D Arcy Short, albeit he scored 44 in the previous game in 43 deliveries, his stay at the crease looked largely uncomfortable. He has failed to get a feel of the Indian tracks. Hence, in all likelihood, Rahul Tripathi could be promoted up the order to open with Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane’s form has been very good and Tripathi, as all fans would know, thrives in the opening slot.

Middle-Order (Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen)

In the middle-order, the Royals are lucky to have a young Indian player who is fine form this season. Sanju Samson has been very consistent with the bat for the Royals this year. His knock against RCB had fetched him praises from all corners. Last game was a rare failure for him and he would hope to get back on track soon.

English cricketer Jos Buttler has been doing a decent job with the gloves for the double Rs. Barring the game against RCB where he had several blips, he has been quite good behind the stumps. With the bat, his best is yet to come. He has played some cameos but a big knock still eludes him.

In this case, the Royals could pretty much think of roping in Heinrich Klaasen in the playing eleven. Not only will Klaasen relieve Buttler from the keeping duties, but also provide some serious strength to the lower middle order.

All-rounders (Ben Stokes, K Gowtham)

All-rounder Ben Stokes is the biggest name in the Rajasthan Royals camp. But the cricketer has largely disappointed in the RR outfit. He was a sensation in the previous edition of the tournament. But this year, he has failed to deliver in either of the departments. Despite this, he is likely to retain his place in the side.

Stokes will be joined by K Gowtham in the department. The Karnataka cricketer is a very handy lower order batsman who is capable of taking the long handle when needed. With the ball, he has been playing a key role for the side and has managed to take a wicket in the very first over of the innings in the last two games.

Spinners (Shreyas Gopal)

In the spin bowling department, Shreyas Gopal looks like a set campaigner. Gopal has been bowling decently enough in the season thus far. In the game against the Royal Challengers, he had turned the game in RR’s favor with his spin in the middle overs. Gopal will find support from K Gowtham in the spin department.

Pace bowlers (Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ben Laughlin)

The pace bowling department has been letting down the Rajasthan Royals thus far. They have the experienced Indian duo of Jaydev Unadkat and Dhawal Kulkarni in the ranks. Despite the plethora of experience they have, the duo has failed to deliver the goods for the team in the tournament.

While Kulkarni has had some moments of brilliance with a few good deliveries, Unadkat’s accuracy has been a concern. In the previous game against the Knight Riders, Unadkat was all over the place with the ball.

Australian cricketer Ben Laughlin has been faring up decently enough for the team though. He is likely to get another game since Jofra Archer has still not recovered from his side strain. Laughlin needs to improve his economy rate in the tournament.

Here’s Rajasthan Royals Predicted XI against CSK

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