Struggling Rajasthan Royals will face an uphill task to bring their campaign back on track when they clash against in-form Kochi Tuskers Kerala in their Indian Premier League match, here on Sunday.
Out of six matches they have played so far, the 2008 champions, after having started on a great note by winning the first two games, finished on the losing side on three occasions, while one match got abandoned due to rain.
Rajasthan Royals vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 28th Match
Led by Shane Warne, Rajasthan Royals though have lacked the fire power and killer instinct which made them the champions in the inaugural IPL.
While the batting looks inconsistent, the bowlers have not been able to stop the flow of runs.
It is high time that the Royals pull up their socks and get back to winning ways. And they would require to do it against a confident Kochi outfit before it becomes a much stiffer task to make it to the last-four stage.
But for that, they would have to get their act together quickly in all three departments of the game.
The likes of Shane Watson, Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Stuart Binny, Ashok Menaria have not been able to make an impression yet and they will now have to raise their hands and be counted.
The hosts would also be desperate to include Johan Botha, who has been in good form with the willow, if he is fit.
The bowling department, which looks impressive on paper, has also failed to penetrate into the opposition camps so far in the tournament and Warne will be looking to lead from the front when they take on the Kochi Tuskers.
Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Sidhartha Trivedi and Warne himself were all found lacking at times but it will be just a matter of one match as any of these players are capable of changing the complexion of the game.
On the other hand, Kochi Tuskers have been on a rampage. After putting behind the disappointment of the first two losses, this new IPL team has hardly looked back.
Mahela Jayawardene and Co have stunned three powerful sides in the competition - defending champions Chennai Super Kings, runners-up of last season Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders - to emerge as one of the favourites in the tournament.
