The Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) again after conceding defeat in their previous meeting this season. Their second meeting will take place at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali on Thursday. It is the 55th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013.
Overview:
RR beat KXIP by six wickets in their previous meeting this season. They will meet again on Thursday, and this time at Mohali. KXIP will be keen to revenge on Rahul Dravid's men before their home crowd.
KXIP are placed in the sixth position with 10 points after winning five of the 11 matches played so far. They beat the much-favourites Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets in the previous match after conceding defeat in three consecutive games prior to that. The win against RCB will boost their confidence.
RR are placed third on the table with 16 points after winning eight of the 12 matches played so far. They come into the contest at the back of two consecutive wins, the latest being nine-wicket win against Delhi Daredevils. Knowing that they are just a couple of wins away before making it to the Play-Offs, they will be keen to win on Thursday.
Previous Meetings:
RR have good record against KXIP in the IPL. The Rajasthan franchise won seven and Punjab franchise three in their 10 meetings. RR defeated KXIP by six wickets in their meeting earlier this season.
Team News:
Kings XI Punjab: David Miller's 101 from 38 balls helped the team chase RCB's total of 190 runs in their previous match. Shaun Marsh, David Hussey and Mandeep Singh are also in good form. They will be expecting the top order to put up a good total again. They can beat any team if they put their acts together.
On the bowling front, they have Parvinder Awana, Manpreet Gony, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Azhar Mahmood, Harmeet Bansal and Ryan Harris. Gony was the highest wicket taker in the previous with two. They will be expected to restrict the score of their opponents.
Rajasthan Royals: At the back of chasing Pune Warriors India's total of 178 runs, skipper Rahul Dravid (53), Ajinkya Rahane (63 not out) and Shane Watson (28 not out) helped the team chase Delhi Daredevils' 154 in the previous match. The top-order will be expected to give a start and let the in-form Stuart Binny and Sanju Samson add some quick runs towards the end.
On the bowling front, they have James Faulkner, Ajit Chandila, Kevon Cooper, Sreesanth, Siddharth Trivedi, Shane Watson and Shaun Tait. Faulkner, Trivedi, Watson and Binny took a wicket apiece in the previous match.
Prediction:
KXIP have shown in the previous game that they are capable of scoring big, and they have home ground advantage when they take on RR. However, the consistent performance from Rahul Dravid's men this season can't be ignored. The match is expected to be a highly contested one but RR are the favourites to win.
SQUADS:
Kings XI Punjab: Adam Gilchrist (C), Azhar Mahmood, Bhargav Bhatt, Bipul Sharma, David Hussey, David Miller, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Gurkeerat Mann Singh, Harmeet Singh Bansal, Luke Pomersbach, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Gony, Nitin Saini, Parvinder Awana, Paul Valthaty, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Rajagopal Sathish, Ryan Harris, Sandeep Sharma, Shaun Marsh, Siddharth Chitnis, Sunny Singh
Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan, Ashok Menaria, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Dishant Yagnik, Fidel Edwards, Harmeet Singh, James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper, Kumar Boresha, Kushal Janith Perera, Owais Shah, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Shukla, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Sachin Baby, Samuel Badree, Sanju Samson, Shane Watson, Shaun Tait, Shreevats Goswami, Siddharth Trivedi, Stuart Binny, Vikramjeet Malik
Where to Watch Live
The match will begin at 4:00 pm IST and will be telecast live on Sony Set Max channel.
