In what could be described as a significant setback for their respective teams, Punjab Kings’ captain Shikhar Dhawan and Rajasthan Royals’ star batsman Jos Buttler were rendered unavailable for the crucial IPL 2024 encounter on Saturday at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. A hushed silence seemed to pass through the fans as stand-in skipper Sam Curran stepped in for Punjab Kings, and Samson won the toss, opting to bowl first for Rajasthan, revealing key alterations in the squad’s composition due to injury concerns.
Rajasthan Royals found themselves without the services of their prolific run-scorer Buttler and seasoned spinning all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, leading to Rovman Powell and Tanush Kotian being ushered into the fray. The Royals’ captain Samson candidly admitted the absence of these crucial players due to fitness issues after winning the toss.
“We’ll bowl first, it looks like a decent wicket to bowl first,” declared a poised Samson. He pointed out the team’s focus on process over the outcome, aiming to consolidate team unity in the face of adversity. “A lot of challenges outside as well, we’ve many players missing from tonight’s game. 90% of the game was good – Jos isn’t 100%, Ash bhai is having a niggle, so Rovman and Kotian come into the XI.”
On the other hand, Punjab Kings had to regroup with the introduction of Vidarbha’s top-order batsman Atharva Taide in place of the injured Shikhar Dhawan, while Liam Livingstone resumed his position in the playing eleven after missing two games. Sam Curran revealed the enforced change owing to Dhawan’s affliction.
“Shikhar picked up a niggle, that’s why I’m here,” admitted a concerned Curran during the pre-match discussions. The Englishman elaborated on the team’s form and the adjustments necessitated due to Dhawan’s injury. “We would have bowled first as well, but we’ll now have to put the runs on the board. The balance has been good, we’d have liked to win a few more games, but the middle-order looks good, especially Shashank and Ashutosh. We’ve got exciting players and plenty of quality. We’ve Atharva Taide coming in for Shikhar tonight, Livingstone is back as well.”
The playing XI for Punjab Kings was announced as Atharva Taide, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran (c), Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, and Arshdeep Singh. For the Rajasthan Royals, the squad stepping onto the field comprised Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Tanush Kotian, Trent Boult, Keshav Maharaj, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Both teams were well-prepared with Impact Substitutes to aid their strategic maneuvers throughout the match. Punjab Kings had Rahul Chahar, Ashutosh Sharma, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia and Nathan Ellis ready to spring into action, while Rajasthan Royals’ bench strength included Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shubham Dubey, Navdeep Saini, and Abid Mushtaq.
