IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's RR vs KKR match
The last time Rajasthan Royals (RR) won a match in IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were placed at the bottom of the points table. The latter became the final team to qualify for the playoffs on Saturday and RR, despite dominating the top-spot for most of the season, have still not sealed a top-two position.
That's how much this tournament has changed in the second half of the season. RR have completely lost their mojo by going against their identity in selection choices when they didn't need to, alongside a dip in the form of their best players.
They couldn't have asked for a tougher opponent for the last league stage game than Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the current table leaders. RR won the reverse fixture at the Eden Gardens but the man who took them to the last-ball finish with a century for the ages, Jos Buttler, has left the camp to be with his national team.
RR desperately need to turn it around to avoid playing the Eliminator without any momentum behind them. And KKR are under no real pressure. Who'll stand up in this situation? Below, we have named three bowlers who we think can do that:
#3 Sunil Narine
KKR veteran Sunil Narine can make this and many other such lists just based on one stat: he's the only bowler to have played every match in IPL 2024 for his team without going wicketless in even one of them. That's just unreal consistency.
Initially in the season, he was bowling quite defensively and getting wickets through pressure. Now, as other KKR bowlers have stepped up around him, he has gone more aggressive and thus found even better results.
He was KKR's Player of the Match against RR at the Eden Gardens, scoring a hundred and picking two key wickets. That might continue in Guwahati as well, especially because the pitch has offered help for spinners.
The hosts' issues in the middle-overs are well known and the crucial reason behind their second-half slump in IPL 2024. Shreyas Iyer might use him specially to tackle their number four-seven batters which would bring a ton of opportunities.
#2 Trent Boult
Despite his blow-hot blow-cold form in IPL 2024, RR left-arm seamer Trent Boult will be the biggest threat to KKR on Sunday. That's especially because KKR no longer have Phil Salt to provide stability at the top of the order.
He looked in good form in the previous match against Punjab Kings and has pretty good numbers in Guwahati: four wickets in three matches at 23.50. He has been quite consistent against KKR over the years too: 13 wickets in 10 matches at 23.38, with Narine, Andre Russell and Shreyas Iyer among his past victims.
KKR have gone back to a spin-dominating combination by subbing Nitish Rana for Angkrish Raghuvanshi which might expose them to their old problems against swing and pace. This could be the match Boult turns it around for himself and his team.
#1 Varun Chakaravarthy
A lot of bowlers have made a late surge towards the Purple Cap in IPL 2024 and Varun Chakaravarthy is leading the charge. Nowhere to be seen in the list at the start, he's now the third-highest wicket-taker with 18 scalps from just 12 matches at an average of 20.38. 10 of those wickets have come in the last four games.
As the wickets have found some turn, his game has gone to another level. He did well against RR at Eden with a spell of 2/36.
Still, considering the inaugural champions' dip in form, this match might prove to be even better for him. He already has nine wickets in seven matches at 20.56 against them in the IPL. Even a hint of turn in Guwahati would make him quite difficult to negotiate for the home side's middle-order.