IPL 2018 KXIP vs RR: Jos Buttler shines as RR set KXIP target of 153 runs

Rajasthan Royals innings

 After poor start to the innings Rajasthan Royals recovered well to post 150-9 in their allotted 20 overs in the Indian Premier League match currently underway at Holkar Stadium in Indore.

Half century by Jos Buttler (51 runs from 39 balls) and cameo innings from Shreyas Gopal (24 runs of 16 balls) in the end helped RR post a defending total.

After being put  into bat RR had a disastrous start to their innings as D Arcy short and Ajinkya Rahane were dismissed early. Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson then began the revival of innings as both the batsman decided to go after KXIP bowlers. Both the batsman put together 49 run stand for the third wicket.

The partnership was eventually ended Andrew Tye , who had Samson caught by Karun Nair. Ben Stokes form with the bat continue to trouble RR  a he was dismissed for just 12 runs thanks to stunning relay effort from Karun Nair and Manoj Tiwary at the boundary line.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman then got into the act by dismissing Buttler (51 runs of 39 balls) and Archer (0 run of 1 ball) in quick succession to further dent hopes of Royals to put up big total.

Rahul Tripathi and K Gowtham were also dismissed cheaply as  KXIP looked to wrap up RR innings under 150 runs. Shreyas Gopal offer some resistence in the end tohelped RR reach respectable total.

RR 152-9 after 20 overs:

It looked like RR wont be able to get to  even 150 runs, but fine cameo knock from Shreyas Gopal in the end has given Rajasthan bowlers something to bowl at.

RR 110-6 after 15 overs:

There is no respite for Rajastha Royals as wickets are falling like pack of cards and reaching 150 runs looks a little impossible . But with 5 more overs to go things could change with Rahul Tripathi and K Gowtham at crease

WICKET! Mujeeb provides double breakthrough, first Buttler and then dismisses Jofra Archer for golden duck. KXIP in command.

RR 42-2 after 5 overs:

WICKETS! Darcy Short's poor form with bat continues as R Ashwin provided the early breakthrough for KXIP dismissing the Australian for just 2 runs. Rajasthan Royals then fell into more trouble with skipper Ajinkya Rahane dismissed for just 5 runs by Axar Patel.

Indore: This is the clash between the teams in which one team is currently in  fourth position and the other is rooted at the bottom of the table.

Ravichandran Ashwin-led Kings XI Punjab will look to return back to the winning ways as they host Ajinkya Rahane’s Rajasthan Royals. After facing defeat against Mumbai Indians in the last game KXIP will look to bounce back as the race for the play-offs gets more tighter.

Against MI, KXIP were off to solid start, thanks to  Chris Gayle and KL Rahul firing at the top of the order. After the fifty plus stand was broken, KXIP's middle order failed to capitalize on the start with the team ending with 15-20 runs short. Middle order’s success will be the  key for KXIP fortunes in run upto the playoff.

KXIP bowling also needs to be repaired after failure to defend the total in the last game. Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahamn has been brilliant with the ball. Ashwin too has bowled inpatches. The real concern for the KXIP will be their death bowling.

Marcus Stonis failed to deliver during the death overs. Ankit Rajpoot have also failed to stage th stage on fire after his 5 wicket haul performance. Inspite of bowling well in their first half of innings, KXIP bowlers have failed to control the run flow in the latter part.

Rajasthan Royals are hoping to bring an end to their three match losing streak.  In their previous game against Delhi Daredevils, the Royals almost pulled off and upset win only while chasing a revised target of 150 in 12 overs. For RR Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane have been scoring runs consistently, Jos Buttler and D'Arcy Short have also been looking dangerous after getting some runs under their belt.

In the bowling department, Jofra Archer will play an important role against a strongKXIP batting line up. Jaydev Unadkat haven’t been having a agreat tournament, but the expensive Indian player will look to make the opportunity count by getting among wickets. Allrounders  K Gowtham and Ben Stokes will be key factors in today’s game, especially Stokes, who has failed miserably so far in all the matches.

When is the match?

The match is scheduled to start at 8 P.M. IST on Sunday (May 5th).

Where is the match?

The match will take place at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

Live telecast and timings:

With Star India now acquiring the media rights from Sony Pictures Network India for the upcoming season, the matches will be telecast on various Star Sports channels.

Live streaming:

The matches can be viewed live on Hotstar.com or on the Hotstar app.