IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's RR vs PBKS match
After dominating the top ranking in IPL 2024 for most of the first half and then almost giving up the top four completely, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have officially qualified for the playoffs, thanks to Delhi Capitals' (DC) win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Now the attention will turn to securing top-two when they face Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Wednesday. However, they'll be without one of their best, Jos Buttler, who has gone home for national duty.
Their opponent, Punjab Kings (PBKS), are out of the playoffs race and 10th in the table. They'll be without three overseas players, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone for the same reason as Buttler. But if you have seen PBKS in even one match this season, you'd know adversity brings the best out of them.
Wounded batting sides on a flat pitch sounds like an even contest of bat and ball. Below, we have predicted three who can come on top in the latter department:
#3 Trent Boult
It's a left-field and probably controversial choice because Trent Boult has just not been in form this IPL. But a lot about PBKS and this game makes sense for him.
No matter what kind of pitch Guwahati offers, it'd likely have some swing available for fast bowlers in the powerplay. And without Bairstow, Curran, and Livingstone, with Shikhar Dhawan either unavailable or returning after a long time, Boult should enjoy this phase against make-shift openers and a shaky middle-order.
That's the kind of impact he had in Guwahati in RR's second game here in IPL 2023, against Delhi Capitals (DC), as he took three wickets, including a couple of ducks at the top of the order. This could well be the game that the Kiwi comes back into form.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin
Since Virender Sehwag has spoken about his comments on the importance of wickets in the IPL, Ravichandran Ashwin has turned a switch on in his bowling. In the last two matches, he has picked up five wickets, tripling his 2024 tally.
A bit like Varun Chakarvarthy for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the wickets offering a bit of turn in the second half of the season has given him more wiggle room. And Guwahati was one ground last year, where he took wickets despite it being flat.
In the first match here in IPL 2023, against PBKS, he bowled an excellent four-over spell of 1/25 when most other bowlers were going at an economy rate of more than 10. Against DC, he took two wickets at the same cost, in a crucial spell in the game's context.
He has always had a good time against PBKS, the franchise he captained a few years ago. He has 20 wickets in as many games at 26.75 while his IPL-best spell of 4/34 also came against them in 2016.
Even if he doesn't pick up as many wickets this time, Ashwin can have an excellent time on Wednesday.
#1 Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel has been PBKS' best bowler in IPL 2024. But that's what a bit of social media tells you. What they don't tell you is that he has also been one of the best bowlers overall in the tournament, level with Jasprit Bumrah at the top of the Purple Cap with 20 wickets in one fewer match (12) at an average of 20.
As the wickets have slowed down, his skills have appreciated too, with the right-arm pacer coming off six wickets in the last two matches. RR are one of his favorite teams to bowl against in the IPL. His average of 16.47 for 19 wickets in 16 matches is the third-best for him for any opponent.
The likes of Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, and Riyan Parag have all struggled against him in the past. As they face a man on the mission, who would also want to end the tournament on a high, they'll have to be at nothing but their best.