Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders are right near the bottom of the table right now. They are both in need of a win to try and salvage their season and begin a climb up the ladder. Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2021 is an important match to win but even more important not to lose. It could be very difficult for the team that loses this match to make a comeback. It can happen but it is going to be difficult. There are some changes that we could see in both teams since they have been losing and have not found their right balance just yet. Mumbai could offer up another high-scoring match to enjoy.
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2021
Teams’ strengths & weaknesses
Rajasthan Royals will be struggling to find a strength that they can depend on right now. That being said, the top-order batting remains its biggest strength. The players may not be scoring runs right now but that is the area that continues to be dangerous for Rajasthan. The weakness has to be the frailty of the middle-order as well as the lack of control offered by the bowlers. Almost every team that comes across Rajasthan is able to get a big score and that has to change if Rajasthan has to start winning consistently.
Kolkata Knight Riders have a very strong batting lineup. The top-order is not firing yet but the middle-order is one of the most powerful in this tournament and we got a glimpse of that in the previous match. The weakness for Kolkata is the spin department. There does not seem t be a single spinner in the squad that the opposition batsmen would be worried about.
Players in form
Rajasthan does not have too many players in form but we still think David Miller is the player to watch out for. He has got runs in only one match but he came into the IPL with some important international performances for South Africa as well. Rahul Tewatia is another player that looked to have hit some form in the previous match.
Andre Russell played one of his signature innings and could have won the game from an absolutely hopeless position. He has a five-wicket haul to his name already and has started smashing sixes like the Russell of old. Surely he is the one player in form that every other team is going to be worried about.
Match conditions
Mumbai has been an absolute batting paradise. Over 400 runs were scored in the previous match and we think that a lot of runs will be scored in this match as well. Everything is in favor of the batsmen.
Game statistics
- There have been 22 matches played between these two teams out of which Kolkata has won 12 games and Rajasthan 10.
- Kolkata has won 6 out of the last 7 matches it has played against Rajasthan
- Andre Russell has a strike rate of 175 against Rajasthan and enjoys batting against them
Predictions
The conditions in Mumbai point to a high-scoring match in which the batsmen are going to dominate. Kolkata has struggled with its top order so far and it was only because of the heroics of Russell and Cummins that they got close in their match against Chennai. Rajasthan has Buttler and Samson in the top order and they could be the ones to make merry against the Kolkata bowling attack.
Neither team has a very strong bowling attack and this is why the onus on winning the match has to be with the batsmen. Rajasthan could be the team to pull off a surprise in this match.
Winner: Rajasthan Royals
