IPL 2021: 3 best knocks by Rajasthan Royals in the first leg of the tournament
The much-awaited second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is finally underway in the UAE. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) find themselves characteristically in the thick of the battle for the IPL playoff spots, which is already turning into a mouth-watering affair.
Before the second leg got underway, the Rajasthan Royals were in fifth place in the points table with three wins from their seven matches. However, they have since dropped down a spot after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday.
The Royals blew hot and cold in the first phase and, as a result, have found themselves in a precarious position even before the second leg of their IPL 2021 campaign kicks off.
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While Rajasthan's batsmen did the bulk of the heavy lifting in the first leg, their bowlers lacked a clinical edge in crunch situations. If the Royals are to make it through to the playoffs, the bowlers will have to step up to the plate. However, their batsmen - despite significant absentees and replacements - will need to find their form quickly.
On that note, we take a look at three of the best batting performances by the Rajasthan Royals batsmen in the first leg of the tournament.
#1 Sanju Samson's 119 against Punjab Kings
There's only one place on this list to start, and it's Sanju Samson's magnificent 119 at the Wankhede on his captaincy debut. Chasing 221 for victory against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), the Kerala batsman single-handedly took the Rajasthan Royals within touching distance with a swashbuckling 119 off 63 balls.
With five runs needed off the last two deliveries, Samson denied a single, with a struggling Chris Morris at the other end. The skipper backed himself to score the winning runs. However, Arshdeep Singh held his nerve as Samson sliced his lofted drive to Deepak Hooda at wide long-off, just 10 yards within the boundary line.
Despite the innings coming in a losing cause, Samson's heroic innings was one of the most eye-catching knocks of the tournament, resulting in a memorable thriller as well. Samson has been rather inconsistent since that knock and will be hoping to regain his mojo after missing out on the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
#2 Jos Buttler's 124 against Sunrisers Hyderabad
For those unaware, Jos Buttler won't be available for the second leg of the IPL 2021 due to the birth of his second child. However, before departing, Buttler gave the ideal parting gift to this Royals team as the curtain closed on the first leg of the season.
In the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the Rajasthan Royals cruised to a near unassailable position after electing to bat first. Jos Buttler's explosive knock of 124 runs off just 64 deliveries helped RR set a mammoth target of 221. In reply, SRH could only manage 165-8, losing the game by 55 runs.
Unfortunately, it was the last game of the first leg of IPL 2021 before it was brought to an abrupt halt due to COVID-19 concerns. Since Buttler will be unavailable for the second leg, the Rajasthan Royals have signed Evin Lewis as his replacement.
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#3 Chris Morris' whirlwind 36 against Delhi Capitals
Chris Morris has been a superb all-rounder for the Rajasthan Royals this season. He's leading the wicket-taking charts for RR in IPL 2021 with 14 wickets to his name at a strike rate of 11.14 and an economy rate of 8.61.
However, the South African proved his worth as the most expensive buy in IPL history with his batting heroics against the Delhi Capitals (DC). Morris walked in to bat in the 15th over, with RR tottering at 90-6 while chasing a target of 148.
All hope was lost when David Miller holed out at long-on after his knock of 62 off 43 deliveries. With 43 runs required in the last four overs, the Proteas all-rounder helped the Rajasthan Royals clinch a thrilling victory with an unbeaten 36 off just 18 deliveries.
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Rajasthan Royals have had a few key absentees, with the likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer all opting out of the tournament for various reasons. Liam Livingstone, Evin Lewis, Glenn Phillips and Oshane Thomas have been signed as replacements and will have to hit the ground running right from the word go if the RR are to sneak into the playoff spots.