Homecoming time for the Royals as they return to Jaipur for the first time since 2019 to host Lucknow Super Giants.

Khamma Ghani, Jaipur! It’s a homecoming like no other. 1452 days after last playing a competitive match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rajasthan Royals will return to their home den, taking on Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

The Royals faithful couldn’t have asked for a better fixture to throng the stadium to cheer for the home team. Both the Royals and the Super Giants have had an impressive start to IPL 2023 and rightfully occupy the top two spots on the points table. Rajasthan leads the charts with eight points from five games while the Super Giants are on six, having lost a match more than their next opponents.

Though it might be too early in the season, a positive result on Wednesday for either team could go a long way in ensuring that they make it to the business end of the competition without much fuss.

Match details

IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants - April 19, 2023

Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

7:30 PM IST

It’s no surprise that the Jaipur stadium is a paradise for teams wanting to chase. Of the 27 T20s played here since 2018, 17 have been won by teams batting second. And the story is no different in the IPL with the teams chasing winning nine of the 14 encounters.

The slight hint of green on the pitch could aid the pacers in the initial overs. But as the match progresses, the spinners will come in handy, especially given how distant the boundaries seem. The even pace and bounce on the pitch, however, will keep the batters interested as well.

The battle to watch out

Trent Boult vs KL Rahul

Two of the finest players in their respective roles, both Trent Boult and KL Rahul are influential figures who can turn the tide in their team’s favour on their day. While Boult is lethal in the Powerplay, Rahul is known to go after the bowlers and make the most of the fielding restrictions in the first six overs. And this is a battle that will excite cricket fans all over. Rahul has the fourth-highest strike rate against Boult among batters who have scored a minimum of 50 runs against the Kiwi pacer in the IPL, while scoring 80 – the second most by a batter – in the eight innings the two have faced off.

Highest strike rate against Boult in IPL (50+runs)

Batter

Innings

Runs

Dismissals

Average

Strike rate

AB de Villiers

5

55

1

55

262

Jonny Bairstow

3

52

1

52

217

MS Dhoni

9

82

2

41

186

KL Rahul

8

80

2

40

163

Mayank Agarwal

6

50

0

-

152

Boult has dismissed Rahul twice in the IPL so far. And given the form that the Royals’ front-line bowler finds himself in, it won’t be a surprise if he would be eyeing another scalp on Wednesday.

Key player

Shimron Hetmyer

For all the praise that the Royals’ top order has been getting this season, and rightfully so, it’s a certain Shimron Hetmyer who has proved influential, often helping the team see the matches through. And the first one to recognise the Caribbean hitman’s contribution has been head coach Kumar Sangakkara.

“What you do and where you do it in every situation, it's a little bit out of this world," he said addressing the team following the win over Gujarat Titans. “But today especially, it was something supremely special. To go in there, clear your way in the mind and how you backed yourself. I thought that knock is going to be remembered as one of the greatest in terms of the IPL.”

In the five matches so far, Hetmyer has faced 20 balls just twice but is still among the highest scorers in the league. And what he produced against Gujarat was undoubtedly ‘supremely special’. Walking in with his team struggling at 55/4 in the 11th over, the Guyana-born batter oozed confidence as he tonked the Titans’ bowlers at will to win the match with four balls to spare. His 26-ball 56*, which included five sixes and two fours, was a treat for a cricket fanatic. And if Hetmyer continues to build on the start, the Royals are in for a treat from him in IPL 2023.

Team news

Do you tinker with a winning formula or experiment with the squad given IPL 2023 is still in its early days? This is a question that Sangakkara and the Rajasthan team management will have to answer when they look to name the playing XI for their match against Lucknow Super Giants.

The head coach hinted at how the management also looked at player match-ups – Adam Zampa vs David Miller – while deciding on the team for their previous tie. Do they look for a similar setup against the Super Giants or trust the ones who have been doing a phenomenal job so far, it’s a difficult but happy place that the team finds itself in.

Upcoming milestones

  • Shimron Hetmyer is three runs away from 500 runs for RR in IPL.
  • Trent Boult is two wickets away from 100 wickets in IPL.
  • Jos Buttler is three catches away from 50 catches in IPL.
  • Devdutt Padikkal is 25 runs away from 2500 runs in T20s.