West Indian cricketing maestro Brian Lara has tipped the Rajasthan Royals as the frontrunners in their imminent showdown against the Gujarat Titans. According to Lara, the Royals boast a well-rounded squad and appear to have found their rhythm as a cohesive unit. Indeed, Sanju Samson’s squad stands as the only undefeated team in the tournament, triumphing in all four encounters and claiming the top spot on the points table.
The Royals embarked on their campaign with a commanding 20-run victory over the Lucknow Super Giants. Subsequently, they secured another win against the Delhi Capitals, prevailing by 12 runs. Continuing their stellar form, they notched consecutive six-wicket triumphs against the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, marking a flawless record of four wins in as many matches.
“Rajasthan is definitely outstanding and favourite for me. They’ve got everything covered. They’re playing good cricket and remain unbeaten so far in the tournament. I can’t see Gujarat Titans doing it tomorrow,” remarked Brian Lara in an interview with Star Sports.
ALSO READ: Shashank Singh Credits Self-Belief For Success With PBKS
In contrast, the Titans have experienced a rollercoaster of results, alternating between victories and defeats in their initial four outings. Arriving at their encounter with the Royals, they confront two consecutive losses, succumbing first to a three-wicket defeat against the Punjab Kings, followed by a 33-run setback against the Lucknow Super Giants.
While their campaign commenced with a triumphant six-run victory over the Mumbai Indians, it was soon followed by a substantial 63-run defeat against the Chennai Super Kings, before bouncing back to vanquish the Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets. Reflecting on the impending clash, former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu weighed in with his perspective, asserting the Titans as the likely victors in Jaipur.
ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra applauds Nitish Kumar Reddy’s knock in SRH’s win vs PBKS
“Gujarat Titans is a superb side and so far they have managed really well. I don’t think anything changes in their squad or in terms of their mentality with these few defeats. I’m sure they’ll come back well, and purely based on the law of averages, I think Gujarat Titans are going to beat Rajasthan Royals,” Ambati Rayudu opined.