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RAJASTHAN VS. DELHI: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 7 | 3 PLAYER BATTLES TO WATCH OUT FOR

Rajasthan will take on Delhi in match seven of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Delhi got their 2021 campaign off to a flying start, with a comfortable 7-wicket win over Chennai. As for Rajasthan, they came second best in the battle against Punjab, losing the game by just 4 runs. 

Both the teams have received some bad news going into this clash. Delhi’s star pacer Anrich Nortje has tested positive for Covid-19, whereas Rajasthan’s all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the tournament due to a broken finger.

As these two teams prepare to face each other in the next game, let’s take a look at the 3 player battles that can be crucial factors in the context of this game:

  • Prithvi Shaw vs. Chetan Sakariya

This will be the battle of the youngsters. Prithvi Shaw came into the tournament on the back of a record-breaking performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and took apart the Chennai bowlers in a dominating manner in the last game. He scored 72 runs off 38 balls, including 9 fours and 3 sixes. When Shaw comes to the crease against Rajasthan, he will be keen to carry on and make the most of the form he is currently in.

Chetan Sakariya will be waiting for him with the new ball. He stood out among all the Rajasthan bowlers against Punjab. In a high-scoring game, he finished with impressive debut figures of 3 for 31. There is not much of a difference between the two in terms of age. However, when it comes to experience, Shaw will have an edge.

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  • Jos Buttler vs. Kagiso Rabada 

After the unfortunate injury of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler is expected to come in at the top of the order for Rajasthan. He has scored most of his runs and won many games for the team while playing at this position. As an opener, he has scored 10 fifties and has an average of 40.62 in 31 innings. 

Buttler will be facing last year’s Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada at the start of the innings. Rabada will be back in the line-up after missing the first game against Chennai. The South African speedster is the leader of Delhi’s pace attack and has taken 61 wickets in 35 matches at an economy rate of 8.23. This opening battle can have a huge impact on the match result.

  • Rishabh Pant vs. Shreyas Gopal

Rishabh Pant did not have much to do with the bat in his first game as captain of the Delhi team since Dhawan and Shaw took care of the majority of the run chase. However, he could get a chance to bat longer in this match. The expectations will be sky-high now that he has turned into a match-winner across all formats for India. Expect him to continue being aggressive, irrespective of spin or pace. He has scored 225 in the last five innings against Rajasthan at an average of 75 and a strike rate of 178.6, including 3 half centuries.

Rajasthan’s leg spinner Shreyas Gopal was expensive against Punjab as he was taken apart by Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul. However, he is a quality bowler who has taken 41 wickets in the last three seasons. Over the years, Gopal has proved to be an effective bowler, often getting the better of legends like AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Will he be able to withstand the Pant-storm? We’ll find out on Thursday.

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