The Rajasthan Royals have been a consistent side in the 2022 Indian Premier League, having registered eight wins in 13 matches so far. Riding on contributions from two of their biggest performers of the edition – Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal, the Royals can become the third team to make its way into the playoffs of IPL 2022, if they beat the Chennai Super Kings on Friday. Follow IPL 2022 Coverage
The Royals have a positive Net Run Rate of +0.304, and a win can take them above Lucknow Super Giants to the second spot, meaning they would take on the Gujarat Titans for a place in the final of the tournament. If they lose, however, the Royals will likely be playing in the eliminator – unless they lose by a heavy margin against MS Dhoni's CSK.
The Royals would be hoping their opener Jos Buttler returns to his power-hitting best when the side takes on CSK. In the past two games, Buttler failed to cross double-figures and his last half-century came against the Mumbai Indians on April 30. However, Buttler's decline in form coincided with the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who impressed with a strong 68 on his return to the XI during the game against Punjab Kings on May 7.
The young left-hander went on to score 19 and 41 in the next two games, and will be aiming to make it big in RR's final league game of the season. Among bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal has been the most consistent performer for the side and is a prime contender for the Purple Cap (tied with Wanindu Hasaranga at 24 wickets in the season so far).
{{/usCountry}}The young left-hander went on to score 19 and 41 in the next two games, and will be aiming to make it big in RR's final league game of the season. Among bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal has been the most consistent performer for the side and is a prime contender for the Purple Cap (tied with Wanindu Hasaranga at 24 wickets in the season so far).
{{/usCountry}}As the Royals prepare for the game against CSK, let's take a look at their predicted XI:
Openers: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Middle-order: Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag
Power-hitter: Shimron Hetmyer
Spin: Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin
Pace: Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy
RR probable XI vs CSK: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c/wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy, Prasidh Krishna, and Trent Boult
Changes in playing XI: Shimron Hetmyer replaces James Neesham.