Jaipur: Two difficult losses in the recent past, and a mammoth challenge up ahead, it is where Rajasthan Royals find themselves as they prepare to take on four-time champions Chennai Super Kings at Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Thursday.
The Men in Pink will have little to no room for error as they look to hold on to their spot in the top four with IPL race heating up.
An impressive start to the season sees Rajasthan placed third on the points table after seven games. But with as many as four teams with eight points piling the league table, any slip-up could prove detrimental in the team’s quest to make the playoffs.
"You learn. We get better. We play again. This game against Bangalore is a learning experience," Head Coach Kumar Sangakkara said addressing the team after their loss to RCB.
"It has been outstanding so far. 95 percent of the time we have been absolutely brilliant. The question is, what can we do to get that 2-3 percent better?" It is a question that the team will look to answer against Chennai in what will be their 200th IPL game.
Rajasthan's first match of the season at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium gave a glimpse of what to expect from the Jaipur pitch.
On a slow pitch, strokeplay was a difficult task and the batsmen had to dig deep for their runs. The variable bounce too made it tricky as the game progressed. Expect things to be no different when Rajasthan and Chennai battle it out.
The numbers suggest chasing has been successful at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Since 2018, in the IPL, teams batting second have won nine of the 15 matches with 10 among them opting to field first.
With an average first innings score and a winning par at around 160, don’t expect the match to be a high-scoring affair.
It’s a place where Ravindra Jadeja announced himself to the world. It’s a team that he helped to the inaugural IPL title. Jadeja has a prominent place in Rajasthan's history.
But on Thursday, this affinity will take a backseat when Jadeja – clad in the yellow - will line up against Rajasthan. And eyeing his number will be a certain Shimron Hetmyer.
The Caribbean hitman has a good record against Jadeja in the T20s. Though the two haven’t had enough time to engage in a lengthy duel, Hetmyer has been lethal against Jadeja and has scored at a strike rate of 173 in the limited opportunities that’s come his way.
Meanwhile, Jadeja has dismissed the Guyana-born twice in the six meetings. With both the players firing on all cylinders, the Hetmyer vs Jadeja will be the one to watch out for in what will be Jadeja's 300th T20 match.
The joint third-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2023, Yuzvendra Chahal has begun from where he left off for Rajsthan last season. With his spin and guile troubling the batsmen, the 22-yard strip at the Sawai Mansingh should suit him against Chennai.
In the early fixture, Chahal proved influential, taking two wickets and giving away just 27 runs at an economy of 6.8 in Chennai.
Chahal has been the most effective in the middle overs (7-15 overs) with captain Sanju Samson turning to the spinner for not only his wicket-taking abilities, but also to stem the flow of runs very often.
The 32-year-old brings in his experience at the death as well and has aided his team’s cause time and again. Against a high-flying Chennai, Chahal will be expected to spin a web around the batters in front of the Royals faithful.
Coming into the match on the back of two losses, one would expect a few changes to the personnel against the Chennai. But with the head coach insisting on patience and the need to take responsibility, it would be prudent to see the line up the team management names against Chennai.
Moreover, the ‘Impact Player’ rule will have to be exercised smartly to get the best of the advantage that it has proven to be this season. (UNI)
