RAJASTHAN VS. HYDERABAD: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 28 | 3 PLAYER BATTLES TO WATCH OUT FOR
Rajasthan take on Hyderabad in match 28 of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday afternoon. Kane Williamson replaces David Warner as Hyderabad’s captain due to the team’s inconsistent form. They are currently at the bottom of the points table, having won just once in six matches. Rajasthan are placed just one place higher, having won just twice in six matches. Both are coming here with losses against Mumbai and Chennai in their respective last games.
As these bottom two teams face each other, here are 3 player battles to look forward to in this game:
- Sanju Samson vs Rashid Khan
Although Sanju Samson is yet to repeat his heroics from the first game where he scored a brilliant century, he has made steady contributions in the remaining matches. He has made 229 runs at an average of 45.8 and scored a couple of 40s in his last two innings. He will look to score big against the under-confident bowling attack of Hyderabad.
Samson will face the big challenge of Rashid Khan in the middle overs. Khan has been Hyderabad’s best bowler this season, taking 9 wickets at an economy rate of 6.14. He generally bowls tight lines and gets crucial breakthroughs for his team. Given Samson’s attacking nature and Rashid’s whole range of variations, this is going to be one exciting match-up.
- Jos Buttler vs Bhuveshwar Kumar
Jos Buttler will be delighted to score some runs after a string of low scores in the tournament. He made a useful 41 runs against Mumbai and helped put a decent total on the board. Eventually, it proved out to be not enough. He is an impact player at the top of the order and can make any bowling attack look ordinary on his day.
Hyderabad’s biggest problem has been the lack of wickets in the powerplay. In six matches, they have only taken 2 wickets in the first six overs. This has led to big scores that put pressure on the fragile batting unit. Bhuveshwar is expected back in the game and will be looking to take a few early wickets. Buttler is the danger man and Hyderabad will like him back in the pavilion as soon as possible.
- Jonny Bairstow vs Chetan Sakariya
Even as skipper Warner has blown hold and cold, Jonny Bairstow has been in red-hot form. Carrying on from his good form in the ODIs against India, Bairstow has scored 218 runs in six matches in the tournament. With bowling being relatively experienced for Rajasthan, he will look to come out firing and straightaway put the pressure on their bowlers.
It may seem a bit of a mismatch to pit a seasoned player like Jonny Bairstow against a beginner like Chetan Sakaria, but the 22-year-old has been outstanding in this season so far. Although he has gone off the boil a little with just a wicket in the last three games, he has bowled with control and confidence in the tournament. He will look to take the big wicket of Warner early in the innings.
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