IPL 2025: RR Under Pressure to Halt its Slide
LSG too needs to find consistency
There were reports that things were not all that well between Rajasthan Royals coach Rahul Dravid and the captain Sanju Samson. But the former has clarified that there isn't anything to worry and things are smooth between them.
But things are still not all that well with Sanju. In the sense, he is under an injury cloud. He retired hurt in the previous match against DC. RR will be sweating that its captain should be okay when it takes the field against the Lucknow SuperGiants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur later tonight.
RR is enduring a challenging season, managing just two wins from seven matches. Its recent defeat to Delhi Capitals in the Super Over highlighted its inability to close out games, a recurring issue this season. The match should have been done and dusted in regular time itself. But RR batsmen capitulated under pressure. The team’s batting lineup, built around Indian mainstays like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Samson, has been inconsistent, leaving the middle order under pressure. Jaiswal has shown glimpses of brilliance with back-to-back half-centuries, but Samson’s fitness remains a concern. Players like Ryan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel need to step up their contributions. RR’s bowling attack has also struggled to make an impact, with key bowlers failing to deliver in crucial moments.
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LSG has had a mixed run with four wins from seven matches. Its victories are courtesy Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, and Aiden Markram, who have been explosive at the top. Pooran and Marsh have scored 652 runs between them. The captain Rishabh Pant’s recent half-century against Chennai Super Kings further boosted the team’s momentum, despite the loss in that match.
LSG’s bowling unit, which struggled with injuries at the start of the season, has shown improvement. Spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi have been effective in the middle overs, while Shardul Thakur has provided crucial breakthroughs. The likely return of Mayank Yadav will be a further boost to the team.
The average first-innings score at Jaipur is around 175–185, and that makes it a competitive ground for both batters and bowlers.
Probable teams:
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (c/wk), Dhruv Jurel, Kunal Singh Rathore, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Nitish Rana, Sandeep Sharma. Impact Player: Wanindu Hasaranga
Lucknow SuperGiants: Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi. Impact Player: Mayank Yadav.
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