With just two wins from seven games, Rajasthan Royals will be desperate for a win when they take on Kings XI Punjab at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday in order to keep their chances alive of making it to the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.
Ajinkya Rahane's men would also be seeking revenge for their previous loss against the home side when the two teams met on March 25. That match was, however, marred by controversy when R. Ashwin 'Mankaded' England batsman Jos Buttler at a crucial moment in the match that Rajasthan went on to lose.
The manner of the dismissal created ripples across the cricketing fraternity with many former greats criticising the Indian off-spinner for breaching the 'spirit of the game'. However, Ashwin stated that whatever he did was within the rules of the game and added that his 'conscience was clear'.
What to expect?
Rajasthan Royals, who are sitting at the second last spot in the points table, would, however, be feeling a little confident after their win against Mumbai Indians in their last game.
On the other hand, Punjab, who are at the fifth spot in the points table, are coming after facing defeat at the hands of bottom-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore. They would be hoping that the swashbuckling West Indies opener Chris Gayle once again continues his rich form which he displayed against Virat Kohli's men and contributes to the team's cause.
Probable Playing XIs:
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sam Curran, Hardus Viljoen, R Ashwin (c), Mohammed Shami, M Ashwin
Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (wk), Steven Smith, Rahul Tripathi, Ashton Turner, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni
(With IANS inputs)