Kings XI Punjab will be looking to achieve some consistency in their performance when they take on Rajasthan Royals at the Sharjah Stadium on Sunday. The team will have plenty of motivation to take from earlier this week’s emphatic win against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The Kings decimated RCB in all the departments for a 97-run win in Dubai; doing them a lot of good as far their net run rate is concerned, especially after losing their opening encounter to Delhi Capitals in the super over.
To turn this momentum into a streak, the first hurdle they must overcome is the Sharjah pitches as Rajasthan are already bullish about their performance on the ground; thanks to the blitzkrieg of Sanju Samson against Chennai Super Kings.
Aware of the batting potency of the side, which would be boosted with the inclusion of Jos Buttler, KXIP head coach Anil Kumble admitted that bowlers need to be on their toes in a small ground like Sharjah.
“All the players are aware of the boundaries, we have practised here a few times in Sharjah. At the end of it, you need to bowl in good areas, if you bowl in good areas you still mean business,” he said. "It is something where batsmen will enjoy batting, so in bowling, the margin of error is very minimal, hopefully, we will be able to do that."
To the advantage of KXIP, Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami already looking battle-ready after a clinical spell in the last game while spinners like Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin have quickly adjusted to the alien conditions.
