Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has expressed doubt about Rajasthan Royals’ ability to bounce back in the Eliminator against the resurgent RCB on May 22, Wednesday. The two teams secured playoff berths through divergent paths, with RCB staging a remarkable turnaround with six consecutive victories in their last six matches while RR endured a string of four losses in the latter half of the tournament, failing to secure a win in May.
THE BIG MATCH IS COMING …!!!!
RCB taking on RR at the Narendra Modi Stadium – winning team meets SRH in two days time while losing team will pack their bags. An IPL classic loading. 🏆pic.twitter.com/K4RgZBwK2V
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 22, 2024
In an interview with Star Sports, Pietersen commended RCB for their remarkable resurgence, suggesting that the momentum favors them significantly. He implied that RR might face a tough challenge against a rejuvenated RCB team.
RCB is playing cricket as well as they’ve ever played. They’ve got themselves to a situation where momentum is all in their favour. They’ve got bowlers bowling well, batters batting brilliantly, and Faf du Plessis leading them as well as he’s ever led a team. So, I find it very, very hard to think that Rajasthan are going to put up a fight,” Pietersen said.
No Buttler No Party For Rajasthan Royals?
The stakes are high in the Eliminator, with the losing team bidding farewell to the race for the final. At the same time, the winner will encounter SRH in Qualifier 2 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 24, Friday.
“They’ve lost Jos Buttler, and Jos Buttler is such a big player. When you open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and you know that he looks up to Jos so much, it is such a big loss. It’s actually quite sad that the England players have had to leave this tournament, and they’re not here on the bigger stage. I’m sure the players would love to be playing here on the bigger stage in Ahmedabad and then off to Chennai to play the finals. This tournament deserves that, and it’s just unfortunate that some of the biggest players in the world are not going to be here.” he added.
Pietersen also voiced concerns about England players departing early for the 5-match T20I series against Pakistan. He particularly highlighted the absence of Jos Buttler as a significant setback for RCB ahead of their crucial match. Buttler’s absence is notable given his exceptional form, including a century against RCB in their previous encounter back in April at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Additionally, RCB will also feel the absence of dynamic all-rounder Will Jacks in this pivotal contest.
Also Read: IPL 2024: 2 Rajasthan Players RCB and Virat Kohli Should Be Wary Of In Eliminator 1
