Punjab and Rajasthan will lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 7. Both teams are pretty close in terms of wins. The Sanju Samson-led side has won six out of 10 games while the Punjab team have won five out of 10 games. Punjab are in sixth place in the points table while the 2008 winners are third. Both teams will be looking to register a win to get close to a playoff berth.
Team News
Punjab:Â The team is coming off an emphatic win against Gujarat. In that game, they excelled in all departments. Kagiso Rabada ran through the batting line-up of the Indian T20 League debutants. On the other hand, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Liam Livingstone made sure that the team wins comfortably. In the upcoming game, they could go with an unchanged playing XI
Key Players:Â
Liam Livingstone:Â The right-hander played a destructive inning of 30 off just 10 balls in the last game. He has the ability to change the course of the game on his own. Livinstone has been a top performer for the Punjab team this year and will be a key player in the next game as well.
Kagiso Rabada:Â The right-arm pacer took four wickets in the last game. Rabada has been brilliant for Punjab this season, picking 17 wickets in 9 games. Given his form, Gujarat will need to be on their toes to get past Rabada.
Probable XI:Â Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Sandeep Sharma.
Rajasthan:Â The team is coming off two back-to-back losses which must be concerning them ahead of the playoffs. However, with six wins on the board, they won’t be in panic mode as of now. However, a win is a must for them to get the monkey off their back. Rajasthan could also play the same team from their last game.
Key Players:
Jos Buttler: The explosive batter is the highest run-getter in the league with 588 runs in 10 games. With him on song, the team has amassed competitive totals in most of the games. Rajasthan will be hoping that Buttler carries on his form and take Rajasthan to playoffs and beyond.
Yuzvendra Chahal:Â The leg-spinner is the highest wicket taker of the season with 19 wickets in 10 games. He can change the complexion of the game with his wicket taking ability, as he has done throughout the season. Chahal will have a big role to play in the next game.
Probable XI:Â Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Karun Nair, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen
Match Details
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Time: 03:30 PM IST
Live Telecast:Â Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report: The last game at the venue between Rajasthan and Kolkata saw spinners getting help and the ball keeping low in the first innings. The dew came in the second innings and it got easier to bat. However, the upcoming game will be played in the day time which means that the dew will be out of equation. The team winning the toss might bat first.
