IPL 2023: 3 Players Who Will Be Crucial for Rajasthan Royals to Win PBKS vs RR Match No. 66

IPL 2023: After losing the last game to Royal Challengers Bangalore, the inaugural season winner and last season’s runners-up, the Rajasthan Royals, got out of the race for the playoffs. RR is currently sitting in 6th place with 12 points and a NRR of +0.140. But their chances of making the next round are minimal. They need to win their next game by a decent margin.

Then, RR will have to hope that other results can also go their way so that they can qualify with 14 points. For that, RR will have to face the Punjab Kings in their next game on Friday in Dharamsala. Notably, PBKS won the last game by five runs in the previous outing this season. So RR has some unfinished business in hand. Here, we will talk about three crucial RR players in PBKS vs RR Match No. 66.

IPL 2023: 3 Key Players for Rajasthan Royals in PBKS vs RR Match No. 66

3. Sanju Samson

The RR skipper, Sanju Samson, will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. RR is not completely out of the tournament, and there is a very slim hope that they can make it with 14 points. But for that, they need to beat Punjab on Friday. Thus, the role of skipper becomes more vital in the game.

Samson has been in good form this season and scored a quick fire 42 off 25 in the last game against Punjab. So far, the RR skipper has scored 360 runs at an average of 32.73 and a strike rate of 154.51, with three half-centuries and 24 sixes. Samson will be keen to win the game for his team and will be a big wicket for Punjab in the coming game.

2. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler is probably one of the biggest name in the ongoing tournament. He was the Orange Cap holder in the last season, in 2022. But this season hasn’t gone as expected for him, which is one of the reasons that RR has suffered. The team relies heavily on the starts given by him, but this couldn’t happen in 2023.

Buttler has scored 392 runs for the franchise in 13 innings at an average of 30.15 and a strike rate of 141.01. He has also scored four half-centuries, with a best of 95. Buttler’s presence in the crease is enough to put pressure on the opposition. He will look to deliver a match-winning performance, which has been missing more often than not in this season.

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The young opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has been the standout performer for the franchise in the 16th edition. But it is also true that he hasn’t gotten much support from other batters at times. He got out for a duck against RCB in the last game and will look to finish on high in the last group match, which could also be the last game for RR this season.

Jaiswal has scored 575 runs in 13 innings at an average of 47.92 and a strike rate of 166.18, which is just unbelievable for an uncapped star. The left-hander has also scored one century and four half-centuries this season. He will be a possible threat to Punjab. Because of the form he is in, he can take the game away on his own.