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RAJASTHAN VS. PUNJAB: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 4 | CONTESTS THAT CAN DECIDE THE OUTCOME OF THE MATCH

Rajasthan will take on Punjab in the fourth match of the Indian T20 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. After the disappointing campaigns in the UAE last year, both teams will be keen to significantly improve their performances this season. While Rajasthan finished last with 12 points from 14 games, Punjab were ranked 6th in the points table with a better net run rate. 

Let’s look at the 3 player battles to keep an eye out for as both teams get set to kick-off their 2021 campaign :

  • KL Rahul vs Chris Morris

Punjab captain KL Rahul had an outstanding season last year. He ended up winning the Orange Cap, scoring 670 runs from 14 games including 1 century and 5 half centuries. However, his low strike rate of 129.34 was certainly the point of discussion during the tournament and will be something that he will look to improve upon this season. 

Jofra Archer’s injury will be a huge setback for Rajasthan as he was the leader of the team’s bowling attack for the last few seasons. Chris Morris, the most expensive purchase in the history of the league, will fill the void left by Archer. Bowling in the powerplay is not something new to Morris and he has the experience as well as the variations needed to combat the final overs. With both players looking to get their respective teams off to a good start, it will be a fascinating battle to watch.

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  • Jos Buttler vs Mohammed Shami

Jos Buttler is an attacking batsman who can make a mockery of any attack on his day. He has all the strokes in the book and is very dangerous at the top of the order. Buttler has scored more than 1700 runs in five seasons with the Royals, with his best performance coming in 2018 when he scored 548 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 155.24 including 5 consecutive half centuries. He has scored over 300 runs in the last two seasons but much more is expected from a player of his caliber.

Mohammed Shami is all set to make a comeback to competitive cricket since injuring himself during the first Test in Australia late last year. Shami took 20 wickets from 14 games last season and will be keen to take the new ball in his hand again. He certainly has the pace and the experience to unsettle and trouble someone like Buttler. Thus, it will be the one battle to look out for.

  • Sanju Samson vs Ravi Bishnoi

Rajasthan’s new captain Sanju Samson will be keen to make a mark as both leader and player. Samson started the last season with 2 cracking fifties but failed to do anything substantial as the season progressed. He scored 375 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 158.89. Samson is very talented but tends to throw his wicket away with poor shot selection at times. He will be eager to improve upon this glaring weakness in his batting.

Leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi was impressive and had a highly impactful debut for Punjab last year. Coming back from a standout U-19 World Cup campaign, Bishnoi picked up 12 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 31.33. He had control over his variations and was not afraid to take on a challenge. With Samson’s tendency to play high-risk shots, Bishnoi will look to spin the ball away from the right-hander and dismiss him early in the innings.

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