Rajasthan Royals, buoyed by their five-wicket win over Pune Warriors India in their previous match, take on the Delhi Daredevils in Match 52 of Pepsi IPL 2013.
Though RR are among the top four teams with seven wins from 11 matches, they are locked in a tightly-contested race to the Play-Offs. RR definitely hold the edge in this contest not only because of their undefeated run at home but also because of the way they seem to be playing without any pressure.
Delhi Daredevils are barely alive in the competition – courtesy their victories in the two matches at Raipur. However the team could not build on that momentum as they suffered an embarrassing six-wicket defeat in Hyderabad the other day. For them to stay in the race of the Play-Off spots, they need to win all their remaining five matches and hope for other results to go their way. This match is the Delhi Daredevils’ last opportunity; it is a case of now or never.
When
Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 4 p.m
Where
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
The Protagonists
Shane Watson, Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge, Stuart Binny and Sanju Vishwanadh have all played match-winning knocks for Rajasthan Royals at different points in time. What has also worked for the team is that the team has not had any fixed plans, yet the players seem to relish the challenge and thrive, whatever the position or whatever the situation of the match.
For Delhi Daredevils to do well, Virender Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene and David Warner need to score the bulk of the runs. Warner has been the Daredevils’ man-in-form; not only is he the team’s top run-getter, but he has also seen the team home in their last two victories.
Previous Meetings
The Delhi Daredevils have a 6-5 win-loss from 11 outings against the Rajasthan Royals. When the two teams met earlier this season, RR, riding on Rahul Dravid’s 65, posted 165 and then restricted the Delhi Daredevils to 160 for six to win by five runs.
Trivia
Off all the teams competing in Pepsi IPL 2013, no team has relied more on its quick bowlers than Rajasthan Royals. Off the 209.5 overs bowled by the Rajasthan Royals bowlers, 171.3 overs have been by their quick bowlers.
What Next
After consecutive home matches, Rajasthan Royals will hit the road as they travel to Mohali to take on Kings XI Punjab on May 9. Delhi Daredevils meanwhile head back to Delhi for their home fixture; they take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 10.
