RR Playing 11 today: The Sportsrush presents before you RR’s Predicted Playing 11 for their 11th match of IPL 2019 vs KKR.
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With just the three wins from 10 matches, the magnitude of problems are ever increasing for the Rajasthan Royals. Slumping to a 6 wicket defeat at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in their previous match against the Delhi Capitals, the script for the Royals has all but been etched.
Going into their clash against KKR, the Royals are primarily playing for pride at the moment. Set to lose a hoard of English players owing to their prior commitments to the national team, the Royals will be looking to give their side and its faithful supporter base a few closing wins to cheer at.
While Jos Buttler will continue to remain unavailable, having flown back to England for the birth of his child, Ben Stokes will be playing his final encounter for the side before he leaves England with the side slated to play an ODI series against Pakistan on May 5.
RR Playing 11 today
Top-order
The departure of Jos Buttler has left a massive hole in the Royals unit, one they’ll find difficult to paper over for the remainder of their sojourn. Sanju Sampson will continue to be the player who’ll fill in his place in both the opening and wicker-keeper role.
What bodes well for RR though is the form of former captain Ajinkya Rahane, who scored his second IPL century in the previous match. Following up the opening slot will be Rajasthan’s new captain Steven Smith.
After having been reinstated as captain for his side, Smith has taken up to the role kindly, scoring consecutive half-centuries and the Royals will be wishing he can replicate his form. If the top-order get going, they can provide the platform needed for the middle-order to revolve around.
Middle-order
It is this area which has turned out to be the biggest bone of contention for the Royals. Stokes and Turner at number 4 and 5 have failed to turn up for their side and the Indian players to follow haven’t been up to the task either. Turner’s form has taken a massive downward spiral. He has registered scores of 0 in five straight T20 matches, three of them coming in the IPL 2019 itself.
That lapse in form will pay the ramifications for him as he’s expected to be dropped for this encounter. Liam Livingstone should come in his place at number 5, followed by Stuart Binny at 6.
Also Read : KKR vs RR Head to Head
Bowlers
In an agonising season, the best thing that has happened to the Rajasthan Royals is Jofra Archer. With 15 wickets in 10 matches, he’s been the main wicket-taker for them. With a call-up to the English squad likely for him in the upcoming timeframe, the Royals will want to utilise him fully before he returns back home in the week to come.
Accompanying him in the pace unit will be Dhawal Kulkarni and the floundering Jaydev Unadkat solely on the virtue of the Royals paper thin bowling unit. The spin department will be made up by Shreyas Gopal and Riyan Parag to complete Rajasthan’s unit.
RR Playing 11 today – 1) Ajinkya Rahane 2) Sanju Samson (wk) 3) Steven Smith (c) 4) Ben Stokes 5) Liam Livingstone 6) Riyan Parag 7) Stuart Binny 8) Jofra Archer 9) Shreyas Gopal 10) Jaydev Unadkat 11) Dhawal Kulkarni
