Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals
30/10/20, 2pm (GMT), Abu Dhabi
WINNER
KINGS XI PUNJAB – 4/5
V
RAJASTHAN ROYALS – 1/1
Match Preview
The mood of this game could hinge on the result of CSK v KKR, with a win for the latter set to make it very unlikely that Rajasthan Royals qualify for the final four, while a win for Kings XI Punjab in this game would also rule out the Royals.
Ben Stokes’ stunning century against Mumbai Indians on Sunday kept the Royals alive and needing to win their final two games to have any hope of reaching the play-offs and they are currently two points adrift of a resurgent Kings XI and level with Sunrisers Hyderabad with two games to play.
Kings XI are the form team in the tournament, with five successive wins to set up this mouth-watering tie between an in-form side with players such as Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Mohammad Shami and KL Rahul against a star-studded Royals team featuring Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Steve Smith and Sanju Samson.
Our Prediction
Rajasthan Royals to have the highest opening partnership – 11/10
The opening partnership of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal has been a big part of Kings XI’s season so far – although Agarwal has missed the last two games injured – but such is the threat and form of Jofra Archer that we think that could come unstuck early on.
Ben Stokes meanwhile has just hit top gear and Robin Uthappa has shown flashes, so we think they could make a rapid start while Archer makes early breakthroughs.
Aside from that, Chris Gayle should fancy getting hold of the Royals spinners so 6/5 for him to outscore KL Rahul – who will be contending with Archer – could be a good outside bet.
For more insights on betting markets, visit our guide.
Top Run-scorers
KXIP | RR |
KL Rahul – 595 | Sanju Samson – 326 |
Mayank Agarwal – 398 | Steve Smith – 276 |
Nicholas Pooran – 329 | Jos Buttler – 271 |
Chris Gayle – 177 | Rahul Tewatia – 224 |
Top Wicket-takers
KXIP | RR |
Mohammad Shami – 20 | Jofra Archer – 17 |
Ravi Bishnoi – 12 | Shreyas Gopal – 9 |
Murugan Ashwin – 9 | Rahul Tewatia – 7 |
Arshdeep Singh – 9 | Kartik Tyagi – 7 |
PREVIOUS PREDICTIONS
MATCH | SELECTION | ODDS |
Kings XI Punjab v Sunrisers Hyderabad | Over 324.5 runs in the match | 11/10 |
Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians | Jasprit Bumrah to take over 1.5 wickets | 1/1 |
Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab | Chris Gayle to hit the most sixes | 9/2 |