Fantasy Cricket Tips for RR Vs PK – Match #4 of IPL 2021
IPL 2021 started with surprises and it is in full swing with the adrenaline flowing high. Yesterday’s match flung another surprise at fans who were expecting SRH to win the match. The ever-changing flow of the game is what makes IPL more interesting. The same also causes problems for fantasy sports players to predict the players’ performance and match outcome. So here are our fantasy cricket tips to place your bets on today’s IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings
It is easier to predict which team is going to win the match than to pinpoint the exact 11 players, out of the two teams, that are going to perform their best. We bring to you our pre-match analysis and the playing XI that you can choose for your fantasy cricket team.
Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Preview
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Time: 7:30PM IST on 12-Apr-2021
Very similar to yesterday’s match between SRH and KKR, today’s match also has two balanced teams facing each other. Both teams have been hanging out towards the bottom of the ladder in the past couple of IPL seasons. Even though RR has won the very first IPL title and Punjab Kings (then Kings Xi Punjab) was a runner-up in 2014, they haven’t been performing well lately.
That said, both teams have tried to make suitable changes in their teams this year and made some intelligent buys in the IPL auction.
This is how they have performed in the past against each other.
Even as the overall stats look lopsided in favor of RR, in the last 5 matches between the two teams, RR has won 3 matches against PK. Also, the teams met twice in IPL 2020 and both matches were won by Rajasthan Royals. So going by even their recent performances, RR has an upper hand over PK.
It is interesting to note here that RR has the capability to win matches when they bat first or while chasing. On the other hand, Punjab Kings has a much better track record of winning the matches when they bat first. This might be their lucky day if they win the toss as Wankhede stadium is an out-and-out batting pitch.
We’ll have to see how the change in captaincy for Rajasthan Royals will work for them. Sanju Samson has been in the RR camp so his understanding of players and their strengths might come in handy. They also picked Chris Morris for a hefty 16.25 Crores to augment the team with a good all-rounder. On the other hand, Punjab Kings bought Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith, both Australian pacers, to do the mend the gaps in their bowling department.
The playing XI
So, first things first – you need to be absolutely sure of the playing XI before you choose your team. Here are the 11 most probable players from each team that will be playing.
Rajasthan Royals
Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Sanju Samson (C), Jos Buttler (WK and VC), Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Andrew Tye, Kartik Tyagi.
Punjab Kings
Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (C and WK), Chris Gayle (VC), Dawid Malan, Deepak Hooda, Mandeep Singh/Shahrukh Khan, Chris Jordan, Jhye Richardson/Riley Meredith, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami
Pitch Report
Wankhede’s pitch is a batsman’s delight and we have seen that once again in the CSK vs DC match. The absence of Jofra Archer might pinch RR on this pitch more than usual, so maybe it’s time for Chris Morris to justify the fat paycheck he received this season. However, this game will be ruled by the batsmen on either side.
Although none of the bowlers from either team are in the top 20 IPL wicket-takers, we have a few good bowlers to watch out for. Jhye Richardson and Mohammed Shami from Punjab Kings and Andrew Tye from RR might still be able to work their magic with the ball.
Weather Report
Clear skies, no wind and humidity under check – all looks good for the upcoming match. The temperature is expected to be between 30-31 degrees Celsius in the evening. These are very good playing conditions for Indian as well as overseas players.
Top Picks for Batsmen
- Chris Gayle (Obviously)
- Mayank Agarwal
- Chris Morris
Top Picks for Bowlers
- Andrew Tye
- Jhye Richardson
- Mohammed Shami
You can also read Top 5 contenders for the Purple cap in IPL 2021
The Wicket-keeper of choice
There has been a question mark on KL Rahul’s form recently, he is still your best bet for today’s match as the wicketkeeper. At the same time, Jos Butler is too good to be ignored. Both are very good with the bat and therefore we would suggest you include both of them in your team.
All-rounders to focus on
- Ben Stokes
- Chris Morris
- Shivam Dube
Captain and Vice-Captain
- Ben Stokes (Captain)
- You may choose between Jos Butler and KL Rahul as the Vice-Captain
That’s your full team there, almost. In addition to the players mentioned above, you might want to pick Mandeep Singh OR Riyan Prayag, if they are your favorites. We would have recommended Chris Morris as a Vice Captain but he is a more effective bowler than a batsman and this pitch favors batmen. Hence, we avoided picking him up as the VC.
The unique thing about fantasy cricket is that the outcome of the match doesn’t really affect the players. It is the individual performances that can make or break things depending on your team selection. Therefore it is important to choose your team carefully considering various factors.
We hope that you find these tips useful and have a good day at fantasy cricket. If you liked our content then please let us know in the comments.
Disclaimer: Fantasy sports involve an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly and at your own risk.