The fourth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will be played between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. The rebranded PBKs will be commencing their campaign with high expectations especially after the addition of some new players. Led by KL Rahul, PBKS will be eyeing to reach the playoffs after missing out last season. While their batting looks solid as ever, with the addition of Shahrukh Khan, their middle-order has also been enhanced.
All eyes will be on star acquisition Jhye Richardson, who is set to make his IPL debut against the Royals. With Mohammed Shami and Ravi Bishnoi expected to line up alongside Richardson, the Punjab Kings will be fancying their chances this season. However, they will come across the Rajasthan Royals, who have seemingly reverted to their ‘Moneyball roots. They brought some all-rounders like Chris Morris and Shivam Dube.
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Although Jofra Archer’s injury will play a huge role for RR, they seem equipped to take on the challenge this time around. Much is expected of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler as they will be playing under the new captain, Sanju Samson. Although there isn’t much to separate the two sides on paper, the Kings boast a more balanced and experienced unit. But the team with the match-winners like Buttler and Stokes can never be taken lightly. All in all, a cracking game of cricket beckons as both teams eye a crucial win to set the ball rolling in IPL 2021.
Here are some fantasy XI predictions for the game:
Wicket-Keepers
KL Rahul seems to be a better pick as he has been known for making a strong comeback and he will be much more effective on pitches in Mumbai. However, for RR, Jos Buttler will be keeping the wickets as he is known for playing match-winning knocks, but in order to maintain the balance of the Fantasy XI, Rahul seems the better pick.
Batsmen
Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Shahrukh Khan, and Chris Gayle have always been the prime contenders for fantasy cricket. Even, Sarfaraz Khan is added in fantasy cricket and that will depend on the balance of the squad. Apart from them, there are some useful batsmen in the line-ups as well, like David Miller, Dawid Malan, and Liam Livingstone.
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All-rounder
There are some really reliable all-rounders in both teams but citing the pitch in Mumbai, Chris Morris, Ben Stokes, and RaTewtiaa seems to be the perfect fit. Apart from them, the good all-rounders for fantasy cricket are Shivam Dube and Moises Henriques.
Bowlers
Both the teams don’t have decent bowling line-ups but they don’t have practiced a lot. Bowlers like Jhye Richardson, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shreyas Gopal become the obvious choices for the Fantasy XI on the dusty track at the Wankhede Stadium. Apart from them, some crucial bowlers can be like, Jaydev Unadkat, Mustiafizur Rahaman, and Chetan Sakariya.
Fantasy Suggestion #1:
KL Rahul (c), Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler (vc), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Shahrukh Khan, Ben Stokes, Chris Morris, Jhye Richardson, Mohammed Shami, and Shreyas Gopal
Fantasy Suggestion #2:
KL Rahul (vc), Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Chris Gayle, Riyan Parag, Shahrukh Khan, Ben Stokes (c), Chris Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ravi Bishnoi, and Kartik Tyagi
