Punjab (PBKS) will go up against Rajasthan (RR) in the third match of the second phase of the Indian T20 league on Tuesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams will be desperate to make a winning start to the UAE leg as they aim for a top-four finish.
RR will miss a couple of their star players in Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Jofra Archer. However, they will rely heaving on the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in the world – Tabraiz Shamsi, who enters the Rajasthan set-up with a lot of confidence and wickets.
On the other hand, PBKS have played eight matches so far – one more than their opponents on Tuesday – and currently occupy the sixth spot on the points table. Adil Rashid, who has joined as a replacement for the second half, could have a big role to play considering the conditions in the UAE.
On that note, let’s take a look at 3 key battles from the PBKS vs RR tie in Dubai for MPL fantasy cricket:
#1. Chris Gayle – Chris Morris
Morris has been a valuable addition to the RR side this season. He was in brilliant form in the India leg of the tournament and will hope to keep the momentum when they begin their campaign against PBKS.
Morris, who is expected to take up the new ball, will have a go against veteran Chris Gayle at the top. It has been even stevens so far with the Proteas pacer getting the better of Gayle only on three occasions in eight meetings.
On the other hand, the Universe Boss has managed to score only 51 runs against Chris Morris. If Morris manages to get Gayle early, RR will have their tails up against KL Rahul’s PBKS.
#2. Sanju Samson – Mohammed Shami
It will be an interesting duel when RR captain Sanju Samson goes up against PBKS senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami on Tuesday. Both of them had a good run in the first half and will hope to carry on the momentum.
So far, they have faced each on six occasions with Samson scoring 46 runs at a strike rate of 177. On the other, Shami has managed to dismiss the RR skipper only once.
If Mohammed Shami manages to get Sanju Samson early, it would be a massive advantage for PBKS as they continue to chase their maiden IPL title.
#3. Deepak Hooda – Chris Morris
The former Baroda all-rounder adds a lot of firepower to PBKS middle-order and Chris Morris will have the job to stop Deepak Chahar to score quick runs in the death overs.
So far, they have faced each other only on four occasions with Morris getting the better of Hooda twice. The Indian all-rounder will look to better his record against the Proteas all-rounder in Dubai on Tuesday.
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