IPL 2018 Previw: Can Buttler-less Royals serve up win against resurgent RCB?

JAIPUR: Jos Buttler has carried Rajasthan Royals on his shoulders in this IPL. However, he will not be around when Royals take on

Royal Challengers Bangalore

in a do-or-die league match here on Saturday. RR's two leading English imports - Buttler and Ben Stokes - have left for national duty for the Test series against Pakistan back home. With their playoffs qualification hopes hanging by a thread, Rajasthan have a tough task against the resurgent RCB even though they are playing at home.


ALSO READ: IPL 2018 play-offs qualification: Five matches, five teams, two spots
As Buttler has been the mainstay of their batting – with scores of 67, 51, 82, 95 not out and 94 not out in the five games preceding the last one against Kolkata Knight Riders, resulting in three almost single-handed wins which got their campaign going – it is a body blow for the Royals. With four teams – RCB, RR, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab – tied at 12 points on the league table and KKR on 14 after 13 games, it’s a super weekend in the IPL as just two playoff spots are left.

ALSO READ: Optimistic Rahane feels Rajasthan can still qualify for play-offs
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings are already through and Delhi Daredevils have been eliminated. It might all come down to net run-rate and RCB have the second-best NRR amongst the five contenders with 0.264 after MI who have 0.384. As the RR-RCB match is the first of the contests over the weekend, both teams would aim to win with big margins and hope that other results go their way.

Who would be the reinforcements for Buttler and Stokes? Two out of D’Arcy Short, Ben Laughlin and Heinrich Klaasen would get in, perhaps the former two. Jofra Archer and Ish Sodhi will again lead the bowling unit. Archer versus AB de Villiers will liven things up.