While Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore have qualified for the playoffs, Kolkata look like a strong contender to grab the fourth spot. KKR have 12 points from 13 games. Significantly, they have an excellent net run rate of +0.294. So even if they lose their last match and are stuck on 12 points, this factor could work in their favor.
All is not lost for RR and MI though. Both have two games left and if they can win those two, they will remain in contention for the last playoff spot. Rajasthan will go into Tuesday’s clash with some degree of confidence. They stunned CSK with a breathtaking batting performance to ace what seemed like a difficult chase. As for MI, things have gone horribly wrong for them. The defending champions have lost four of their last five games.
RR would not want to make too many changes in the line-up. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Evin Lewis delivered the goods at the top and Shivam Dube made an impact in his first game of the UAE leg. Rahul Tewatia also stood out with the ball. This is exactly what skipper Sanju Samson needed from the other players.
RR’s predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Evin Lewis, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Mahipal Lomror, Shivam Dube, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman
MI’s batting crumbled miserably against DC in the last game. While Suryakumar Yadav’s form is a worry, skipper Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock also haven’t delivered at the top. The inclusion of Nathan Coulter-Nile has strengthened the bowling but MI have failed to find the winning formula.
MI’s predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (w), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jayant Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
Top fantasy picks for RR vs MI clash: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tewatia, Mustafizur Rahman, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwary, Trent Boult
--Renin Wilben Albert