IPL 2019 – Match 25: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings – RR Predicted Playing XI

Just one win out of five games thus far and the performance from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) has been heartbreaking for the fans. If the batting has clicked, the bowlers failed to do well. And at times, it was the vice-versa. Things are only set to get tougher over the next 10 days for the Royals. They’ll first meet the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the second time this season.

Then, they’ll be facing the Mumbai Indians twice and Kings XI Punjab in the game away from home. The last time the Royals played Chennai, they fell short of the target by a mere 8 runs. But this time, however, they will look to give in their everything and possibly get over the line. The home team might have one or two changes to make before they head into this crucial encounter.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for the Rajasthan Royals (RR):

Openers (Ajinkya Rahane (c), Jos Buttler (wk))

RR skipper Ajinkya Rahane is trying to go too hard after the bowlers at the moment. The right-hander is a class act and has got all the shots in his book. He needs to assess the conditions first and then look to play a long innings where he’d be the anchor and the rest of the batsmen will play around him. Even though his bowling reserves have been very limited, Rahane has led the team well.

Jos Buttler will have a crucial role to play in the upcoming game. He missed out on making it big in the last game and having got off to a good start. The wicket-keeper batsman failed to clear the ropes and had to walk back to the pavilion after he scored 37 runs. Had he stayed in the middle for a little longer, the scenario might have been slightly different for the Royals. Buttler is the biggest strength of this team and should play impactful knocks.

Middle Order (Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi)

Steve Smith has finally got back amongst the runs in the last match. The former Australian skipper scored an unbeaten 59-ball 73 and looked quite comfortable out in the middle. He needs to carry on with this good form as he could be a great asset to the side going forward.

It’s been a while since Sanju Samson hasn’t played a game. He has had enough time to recover from his niggles and should be ready to go for the crucial encounter against CSK. Sanju will be replacing Prashant Chopra if he comes back. This will mean that Rahul Tripathi will have to go back to batting at number five.

All Rounders (Ben Stokes, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mahipal Lomror)

The knock from Ben Stokes in the last match potentially lost his team the match. He struggled to score the runs and could only get 7 runs from 14 balls towards the end of the innings. Had he played well, RR might have easily posted 20 or 30 runs more on the board which could have made the competition more enjoyable.  There is still uncertainty about the availability of Ashton Turner.

If the Australian is available, he could replace Stokes in the eleven. Krishnappa Gowtham was hammered all around the park by Sunil Narine in the last match. He bowled just one over but is likely to continue in the eleven. RR might rope in Mahipal Lomror for this game in place of Sudhesan Midhun. He adds depth to the batting and it a good bowler as well.

Bowlers (Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni)

Jofra Archer and Shreyas Gopal have been the best bowlers for RR this season. While the English cricketer often applies breaks on the run-scoring rates, the leg-spinner has been able to provide his team with regular breakthroughs. Ajinkya Rahane has got to be using this duo more aggressively to get the best results.

Dhawal Kulkarni will be the other pacer who will feature in the playing XI. The Mumbai bowler is one of the best available options for RR in the pace department. He is swinging the ball both the ways but has failed to control the run flow. Oppositions are always looking to target him and Dhawal needs to use that for his benefit by hitting the right areas.

[interaction id=”5cad91c84d45dd1f7fb1ca79″]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.