The SuperSport Park is one of the iconic cricket stadiums located in Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa. 

Originally named as Centurion Park, the SuperSport Park has a seating capacity of 22,000 and also features Beach Cabana type hospitality chalets on the grass banks. It has a beautiful outfield with one of the best drainage facilities.

Considered to be one of the cricket grounds with the best players' facilities in the world, the SuperSport Park staged its first One-Day International (ODI) between hosts South Africa and India in December 1992. India won the match by four wickets.

The SuperSport Park later hosted its first Test match played between South Africa and England in November 1995. The match ended in a draw.

Later in 2009, it staged its first T20 international match that featured hosts South Africa and Australia. Under the leadership of Johan Botha, South Africa won the game by 17 runs.

The SuperSport Park is the home ground of the South African cricket team, Titans cricket team and SA20’s Pretoria Capitals.

It was also one of the venues that hosted ICC World Cup 2003 and ICC Champions Trophy 2009. It also staged the Indian T20 League in 2009.

Let’s have a look at SuperSport Park T20 records and stats:

SuperSport Park T20 records and stats

Highest total

The South Africa cricket team holds the record for the highest total at the SuperSport Park in T20 international cricket. During the second T20I of the West Indies tour of South Africa in March 2023, the Aiden Markram-led hosts recorded 259/4 while chasing West Indies�?258/5. Chasing 259, South Africa rode on Quinton de Kock’s 100, along with contributions from Reeza Hendricks (68) and Aiden Markram’s unbeaten 38 to successfully chase down the target in just 18.5 overs to register a six-wicket win in Centurion. Earlier, Johnson Charles�?118 helped West Indies post a mammoth total of 258/5 in their 20 overs. 

Lowest total

South Africa registered the lowest total at the SuperSport Park in T20 international cricket. Chasing 196, the hosts were bundled out for 100 in just 12.2 overs during the second T20I of Pakistan’s tour of South Africa in March 2013. AB de Villiers top-scored for South Africa with 36 while Rory Kleinveldt scored 22. For Pakistan, Umar Gul was the wrecker-in-chief with five wickets while Mohammad Hafeez bagged three wickets. Earlier, captain Mohammad Hafeez (86) and Ahmed Shehzad (46) powered Pakistan to 195/7 in their allotted overs. With the 95-run victory, Pakistan won the two-match T20I series 1-0 after the opening game was abandoned due to rain. 

Most runs

South Africa’s top order batter Rassie van der Dussen has scored the most runs at the SuperSport Park in the T20 international format. Between 2019 and 2021, Rassie van der Dussen amassed 202 runs in five matches at an average of 50.50 and a strike rate of 140.27. He has two T20I fifties at this venue. His teammate David Miller features second on the list with 200 runs in 10 T20Is at a strike rate of 147.05 while also maintaining an average of 25. 

Most wickets

Former South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris bagged the most wickets at the SuperSport Park in T20 international cricket. The former right-arm fast bowler picked up seven wickets in four T20Is at an average of 19.42 and an economy of 8.50 between 2013 and 2019. He registered best bowling figures of 3/32 on this ground in the T20I format. Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf is second on the list with six wickets in three T20Is at an average of 15.33 and an economy of 7.66.

Highest individual score

Pakistan talisman Babar Azam registered the highest individual score against South Africa at this ground in T20I cricket. Chasing 204 in April 2021, Babar Azam slammed 122 off just 59 balls to help Pakistan chase down the target in 18 overs and secure a nine-wicket win in the third T20I of a four-match series in Centurion. His magnificent knock was laced with 15 fours and four maximums. Earlier, South Africa posted 203/5 in their 20 overs. Pakistan later clinched the four-match T20I series 3-1.

Best bowling figures

Former Pakistan cricketer Umar Gul recorded the best bowling figures at the SuperSport Park in T20 international cricket. During the second T20I of Pakistan’s tour of South Africa in March 2013, Umar Gul registered match-winning figures of 2.2-0-6-5. Defending 195, the former right-arm pacer dismissed captain Faf du Plessis, Chris Morris, Justin Ontong, Farhaan Behardien and Kyle Abbott to bowl out South Africa for 100 in 12.2 overs and guide the visitors to a 95-run victory.

Highest partnership

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam hold the record for the highest partnership at the SuperSport Park in T20 international cricket. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam forged a match-winning 197-run stand for the opening wicket against while chasing South Africa’s 203/5 in the third T20I of a four-match series. While Babar Azam hammered 122, Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 73 to help Pakistan register a nine-wicket win in Centurion.

Photo credit: Imago

Rajasthan, languishing at the bottom of the Indian T20 League 2021 points table, eye a change in fortunes as they take on Kolkata at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, April 24.

When it comes to the recent form guide, both Rajasthan and Kolkata have grown cold feet as they are on losing streaks respectively. Rajasthan, in particular, will be under immense pressure considering none of their players have been consistent in their last two games.

Kolkata, meanwhile, have to solve their middle-order conundrum as they failed to stand up to the pressure from opposition bowlers in their games against Bangalore and Chennai. The likes of Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, and skipper Eoin Morgan himself have a lot of homework to do if they are to end the side's ongoing three-game winless run.

On the flip side, Kolkata enjoys a comfortable lead in the Rajasthan vs Hyderabad head-to-head record with 12 wins in 22 matches. Additionally, the two-time winners have won four of their last five clashes against Sanju Samson and Co.

Rajasthan vs Kolkata head-to-head record in Indian T20 League
Rajasthan	Metrics	Kolkata
22	Matches	22
10	Wins	12
45.45%	Win percentage	54.55%

The latest Rajasthan vs Kolkata tie will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where chasing has reaped successful results in the ongoing edition of India's T20 showpiece event. In 12 games at this iconic venue, Rajasthan have registered five wins as opposed to Kolkata's one win in 10 trips.

Indian T20 League record at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Rajasthan	Metrics	Kolkata
12	Matches	10
5	Wins	1
41.67%	Win percentage	10%

Dinesh Karthik has also endured a wobbling start to the season, despite being one of the prominent players expected to explode with the bat in Kolkata's middle-order. The wicketkeeper-batsman has tallied 519 in 25 matches against Rajasthan and is best known for his unbeaten 97 in the 2019 edition, albeit it being in a losing cause.

There is immense pressure on skipper Sanju Samson to stack up runs for Rajasthan, given he has flattened out after a dynamic inning of 119 in his side's first game of the season. The 26-year-old is Rajasthan's most prolific batter against Kolkata - 334 runs at a strike rate of 123.7 - and is tipped to regain his batting instincts on a ground where he has aggregated 356 runs in nine matches.

Best batsmen for Rajasthan vs Kolkata
Player	Matches	Runs	High score	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Dinesh Karthik	25	519	97*	32.43	134.8	0	3
Sanju Samson	14	334	60	23.85	123.7	0	2

For Rajasthan, Chris Morris will be the go-to bowler to spell trouble for Kolkata's batters. The South African pacer has bagged 15 wickets against Eoin Morgan and Co. The most expensive overseas player in the Indian T20 League has scalped just five wickets this term, thus putting more pressure on his shoulders to lead his side to record just their second win in six meetings with Kolkata.

Shakib Al Hasan has bagged 12 wickets in nine games against Rajasthan, making him the best bowler from the Kolkata camp to take the field. The Bangladesh all-rounder has taken just two wickets so far and is poised to unsettle the Rajasthan middle-order with his googlies during the middle overs.

Best bowlers for Rajasthan vs Kolkata
Player	Innings	Maidens	Wickets	Average	Economy	Strike Rate
Chris Morris	12	1	15	21.33	7.27	17.6
Shakib Al Hasan	9	0	12	19.33	6.59	17.5

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Featured photo: AFP / DIBYANGSHU SARKAR

Having won their first three matches for the first time, Virat Kohli-led Bangalore will look to continue their unbeaten streak against Rajasthan in the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 22.

The 2016 finalists Bangalore have made a confident start to their campaign as they had defeated defending champions Mumbai in the season opener and followed it up by securing victories against Hyderabad and Kolkata to move to the top of the points table.

On the other hand, Rajasthan have been inconsistent in the tournament, winning one and losing their other two matches as they stand sixth in the Indian T20 League standings.

Sanju Samson and his men will look to return to winning ways and secure their second win of the ongoing campaign.

Bangalore vs Rajasthan probable playing XI

Bangalore talisman AB de Villers and new recruit Glenn Maxwell have decimated their oppositions in the first three matches. However, the franchise will be a little concerned with the form of their captain Virat Kohli, who has failed to convert his starts to a big one.

The team had also made an interesting decision in their last game against Kolkata as they fielded only three overseas players instead of four. With Bangalore playing in Mumbai for the first time this season, Daniel Christian is expected to return to the playing XI in place of Rajat Patidar.

Rajasthan, on the other hand, will once again depend on their captain Sanju Samson and opener Jos Buttler to click as a batting unit. Samson has been dismissed for low scores in the last two matches after he had smashed a scintillating hundred in their season opener.

Injuries to their two top overseas players - Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes - have also massively impacted the combination of the Rajasthan side. Additionally, another foreign player Liam Livingstone has left the squad due to bio-bubble fatigue.

The franchise may consider making few changes to their side against Bangalore. Their all-rounder Shivam Dube had another poor outing against Chennai and he may get replaced by Shreyas Gopal in the playing XI. Rajasthan might also bring back young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in place of Manan Vohra.

Bangalore predicted XI: Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wicket-keeper), Rajat Patidar/Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj,  Yuzvendra Chahal

Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube/Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Bangalore vs Rajasthan prediction: Who will win?

In the Bangalore vs Rajasthan head-to-head record in the Indian T20 League, both sides have won 10 games each in the 22 matches played between these two franchises. Two games ended with no results. However, Virat Kohli’s Bangalore have won three of their last five matches in the high-profile league. Considering the form of the Bangalore side, they are tipped to triumph over Rajasthan at the Wankhede on Thursday.

Create fantasy cricket team with Bangalore vs Rajasthan

Top Tip: Best Batsmen

Bangalore will once again depend on AB de Villiers to put in another match-winning performance with the bat against Rajasthan. The 37-year-old has a great record against Rajasthan, aggregating 648 runs in 19 innings at a strike rate of 146.6 with eight fifties.

On the other hand, opener Jos Buttler will be the player to watch out for Rajasthan with the bat. Buttler has scored 220 runs in eight innings against Virat Kohli’s side, at a strike rate of 151.72.

Top Tip: Best Bowlers

In the bowling department, Bangalore leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is tipped to be the wrecker-in-chief for his side against Rajasthan. The 30-year-old has bagged 16 wickets in 10 innings against the opposition at an economy of 6.05.

For Rajasthan, Shreyas Gopal is expected to be Bangalore’s biggest threat on Thursday. Shreyas has claimed 14 wickets in six innings against Kohli and his men.

Top Tips: All-rounder and Wicket-keeper

Bangalore possesses several top all-rounders in their line-up including Washington Sundar, Daniel Christian and Glenn Maxwell. However, India all-rounder Washington Sundar would be the preferred choice for the all-rounder spot due to his match-winning capabilities. Sundar has picked 26 wickets while scoring 204 runs in 39 Indian T20 League matches.

On the other hand, Chris Morris had shown why Rajasthan paid a hefty price for him as he had played a blitzkrieg innings of 18-ball 36 against Delhi to guide his team to a thrilling win. He is expected to play an important role both with bat and ball against Bangalore on Thursday.

For the wicket-keeper position, AB de Villiers will be the preferred choice over Sanju Samson. De Villiers is considered to be one of the best fielders to have played the sport. He is equally a safe fielder behind the stumps. The former South Africa captain has taken 106 catches and completed eight stumpings in the Indian T20 League history. 

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Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

Chennai and Rajasthan will look to continue their winning momentum when they clash in the Indian T20 League at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, April 18. 

Both the sides bounced back after losing their opening fixtures with wins, albeit in contrasting styles. While Chennai thrashed Punjab by six wickets on Friday, Rajasthan defeated Delhi in a low-scoring thriller a day before.

Victory for either MS Dhoni-led Chennai or Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan will give their campaigns a boost.

Chennai vs Rajasthan full squads

Chennai: MS Dhoni (captain/wicket-keeper), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan (wicket-keeper), Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood, R Sai Kishore, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma, Hari Nishanth

Rajasthan: Sanju Samson (captain/wicket-keeper), Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Ben Stokes, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

Chennai vs Rajasthan probable XI

Chennai will be a little bit concerned with the form of opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has scored just 10 runs in the first two matches of the season. The MS Dhoni-led side has always given a long rope to players even when going through a rough phase. However, the franchise might consider bringing in experienced Robin Uthappa in the playing XI in place of Gaikwad.

Furthermore, Chennai have received a massive boost as their South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi has completed his mandatory seven-day quarantine and will be available for selection.

Chennai predicted XI: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad/Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (captain/wicket-keeper), Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo/Lungi Ngidi, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur

On the other hand, Rajasthan performed exceptionally well in the absence of their star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has returned to England after sustaining a finger injury. 

The franchise may consider making few changes to their side against Chennai. Their all-rounder Shivam Dube had another poor outing against Delhi, and he may get replaced by Shreyas Gopal in the playing XI.

Rajasthan might also bring back young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in place of Manan Vohra.

Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (captain), David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube/Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Chennai vs Rajasthan head-to-head record in Indian T20 League

Three-time Indian T20 League champions Chennai have a clear edge over Rajasthan in the head-to-head record. The two teams have faced each other 23 times in the high-profile league, with Chennai winning 14 while losing nine.

At the Wankhede Stadium, both Chennai and Rajasthan have won 50 percent of their matches. While MS Dhoni-led Chennai have won eight of the 16 games played at this venue, Rajasthan have registered five victories in 10 encounters.

Chennai vs Rajasthan match prediction: Who will win?

While both Chennai and Rajasthan are well-matched on paper, Chennai will hold the edge in the crucial clash, owing to their experience. 

Furthermore, captain MS Dhoni has a tremendous Indian T20 League record against Rajasthan.

Best performers in Chennai vs Rajasthan

Top tip: Best batsmen

Chennai batsman Suresh Raina is tipped to score the maximum runs for his side against Rajasthan. Raina has a decent record against the Rajasthan franchise, amassing 609 runs in 21 matches with four fifties. The 34-year-old southpaw is the second-highest run-getter in the history of the Indian T20 League. He has scored 5430 runs in 195 games and is only behind Bangalore captain Virat Kohli.

In the case of Rajasthan, opener Jos Buttler is the ideal candidate to be the leading run-scorer in the latest Punjab vs Chennai showdown. The 30-year-old has scored 216 runs in 5 matches against Chennai, at a staggering average of 72 with two fifties to his name.

Top tip: Best bowlers

Ravindra Jadeja is favoured to be the wrecker-in-chief for Chennai against Rajasthan. Jadeja has 16 wickets in as many matches against Rajasthan and is keen to consolidate his 114 wickets in 186 games in the Indian T20 League. He is an asset for any side.

For Rajasthan, Jaydev Unadkat will be the bowler to watch out for against Chennai at the Wankhede. The 29-year-old silenced his critics as he picked up three wickets by conceding only 15 runs against Bangalore.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

Chennai possesses several top all-rounders in their line-up, namely Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo and Moeen Ali. However, England’s Moeen Ali would be the preferred choice for the all-rounder spot due to his match-winning capabilities. Moeen has already scored 82 runs in two matches and also picked up a valuable wicket last game.

On the other hand, Chris Morris just showed why Rajasthan paid a hefty price for him by playing a blitzkrieg innings of 36 from 18 deliveries in the last game. He also picked up a wicket by conceding only 27 runs.

For the wicket-keeper position, MS Dhoni will be the preferred choice over Sanju Samson. Dhoni has taken 113 catches and completed 39 stumpings in the Indian T20 League history. He is the first wicket-keeper in the history of the T20 tournament to reach 150 dismissals.

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

Rajasthan rode on David Miller’s combative 43-ball 62 and Chris Morris�?blitzkrieg innings of 36 off just 18 balls to script a thrilling three-wicket win over Delhi in an Indian T20 League clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. 

Chasing 148 for a win, Rajasthan were reeling at 42/5 in their first 10 overs having lost the wickets of Jos Buttler (2), Manan Vohra (9), Sanju Samson (4), Shivam Dube (2) and Riyan Parag (2).

David Miller stitched a 48-run partnership (off 33 balls) with Rahul Tewatia to bring Rajasthan back into the match. But soon Miller (62) and Tewatia (19) departed as Rajasthan needed 44 runs off 32 balls.

It was at this point Chris Morris, who became the most expensive player in Indian T20 League history, played a blinder where he clobbered two sixes off Delhi pacer Tom Curran in the last over to win the game for Rajasthan. 

With this win, Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan have moved to the fifth spot in the Indian T20 League 2021 points table. That said, let’s take a look at some key stats from the game.

Match winning knocks from Miller and Morris

David Miller registered his 10th fifty in the Indian T20 League and his 11th fifty-plus scores as he kept Rajasthan in the run chase. Interestingly, 10 of these fifties have come in chases. Furthermore, six of these have come in a winning cause which includes a ton against Bangalore in 2013.

Miller's fifty-plus scores in Indian T20 League

Innings	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR	Opposition	Ground	Match Date	Result
2	101*	38	8	7	265.78	Bangalore	Mohali	06 May 2013	Won
2	89*	44	2	9	202.27	Hyderabad	Deccan	11 May 2015	Lost
2	80*	41	5	5	195.12	Pune	Mohali	21 April 2013	Won
1	66	29	8	3	227.58	Bangalore	Bengaluru	09 May 2014	Won
2	62	43	7	2	144.19	Delhi	Mumbai	15 April 2021	Won
2	59*	40	5	3	147.5	Kolkata	Kolkata	27 March 2019	Lost
2	56	34	1	5	164.7	Mumbai	Mumbai	29 April 2013	Lost
2	54*	37	3	3	145.94	Chennai	Abu Dhabi	18 April 2014	Won
2	54	30	1	5	180	Rajasthan	Ahmedabad	21 April 2015	Won
2	51*	19	0	6	268.41	Rajasthan	Sharjah	20 April 2014	Won
2	51*	26	5	2	196.15	Chennai	Chennai	02 May 2013	Lost

On the other hand, Chris Morris guided Rajasthan to a sensational win as he scored an unbeaten 36 off just 18 balls. His strike rate of 200 is the fourth-best in an innings so far (with min. 25 runs scored).

Player	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR	Team	Opposition	Ground	Match Date
D Hooda	64	28	4	6	228.57	Punjab	Rajasthan	Mumbai	12 April 2021
R Parag	25	11	1	3	227.27	Rajasthan	Punjab	Mumbai	12 April 2021
S Curran	34	15	4	2	226.66	Chennai	Delhi	Mumbai	10 April 2021
C Morris	36*	18	0	4	200.00	Rajasthan	Delhi	Mumbai	15 April 2021
J Buttler	25	13	5	0	192.3	Rajasthan	Punjab	Mumbai	12 April 2021

Rajasthan pacers restrict Delhi to paltry score

Earlier in the game, left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat took three early wickets to rattle the Delhi top-order as Rajasthan restricted the vaunted Delhi batting line-up to 147/8 in 20 overs.

The Rajasthan pacers bowled some tight lines as a result not a single six was hit in Delhi’s batting innings.

On the contrary, seven sixes were smashed by the Rajasthan batters in their run chase.

Pacers comparison

Rajasthan	Metrics	Delhi
15	Overs	16.4
104	Runs	134
38	Dots	42
6	Wickets	7
6.93	Economy	8.04
14/0	4s/6s	12/7
3	Extra	1

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

After an encouraging win over three-time Indian T20 League champions Chennai in their opening match, Delhi will be taking on Rajasthan in the seventh match of the tournament on Thursday, April 15, at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rajasthan might have lost their season-opener against Punjab, but their fans will be waiting with bated breath to see Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag at the crease again. For Delhi, a rejuvenated Prithvi Shaw hogged the limelight with a quickfire 72 against MS Dhoni’s men.

While the biggest draw of the game will be the coming together of debuting Indian T20 League captains Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson will be sweating to find an alternative option for their star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who will now miss the rest of the Indian T20 League season with a broken finger.

Rajasthan vs Delhi full squads

Rajasthan: Sanju Samson (captain/wicket-keeper), Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

Delhi: Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod (wicket-keeper), Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Rajasthan vs Delhi playing XI predictions

Despite the unfortunate and untimely injury of Ben Stokes, Rajasthan have some interesting options to replace the English star. Stokes�?batting position for Rajasthan (as an opener) has been a source of debate for quite some time now with many suggesting Jos Buttler take that role.

Stokes�?injury provides Rajasthan with an opportunity to experiment. David Miller can come down in the middle order to provide late fireworks.

Samson deployed as many as eight bowlers against a batting-heavy Punjab side who put up a target of 222. Delhi are a different team altogether and Rajasthan are expected to continue with the same bowling combination of three pacers and two spinners with Rahul Tewatia getting more overs.

While Delhi aren’t expected to experiment with a winning XI from the last game, the management just cannot keep superstar bowler Kagiso Rabada on the bench when he is available. Tom Curran conceded 40 runs in four overs against and the English bowler is expected to be benched this match.

Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra, Sanju Samson (captain), David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Delhi predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicketkeeper), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan

Rajasthan vs Delhi head-to-head in Indian T20 League

Interestingly, Rajasthan and Delhi have been very evenly matched in their encounters so far. The two teams have clashed 22 times in the Indian T20 League so far, with each winning 11 times.

The head-to-head remains relatively even at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, with Rajasthan winning four of their nine matches at the venue and Delhi winning four of their 10 matches at the venue.

Rajasthan vs Delhi: Match result prediction

It is evident from the head-to-head record that neither Delhi nor Rajasthan stand as clear favourites to win Thursday’s game. However, in terms of team combination, momentum, and most importantly, the think tank, Delhi edges Rajasthan in the fixture.

Having a shrewd and veteran tactician like Ricky Ponting at the helm calling the shots and picking the team combination, Rishabh Pant will have little to worry about apart from his batting against any opponents whatsoever. Rajasthan’s Kumar Sangakkara might have been a great player himself, but his inexperience to manage teams in the Indian T20 League will remain a disadvantage at this stage for the team.

Moreover, Ben Stokes�?exit would be a blow that Rajasthan could take some time to recover from.

Best performers in Rajasthan vs Delhi

Top tip: Best batsmen

Even if Ben Stokes hadn't been injured ahead of the Delhi clash, there was a high chance Rajasthan kept South African pinch hitter David Miller in the squad. The middle-order batsman has garnered 322 runs against Delhi in 14 matches at a strike rate of 115.82.

Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan will be the biggest threat for Rajasthan on Thursday. The southpaw has amassed a massive 547 runs against them in 19 matches with six half-centuries against Rajasthan alone.

Top tip: Best bowlers

Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been Rajasthan's best bet with the ball against Delhi so far, as he accumulated 16 wickets in 8 matches. However, given the team combination, Shreyas Gopal could be handy for Sanju Samson as the spinner has previously taken five wickets against Delhi.

Delhi's old man Amit Mishra could be the star of the show on Thursday, given his exceptional record against Rajasthan. The spinner has scalped 30 wickets against Rajasthan at a strike rate of 14.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

While neither of the teams �?Rajasthan or Delhi �?have seen any exceptional performances from their all-rounders so far, Rajasthan’s Chris Morris is expected to get better with every game. The highest-priced player of the Indian T20 League 2021 took two wickets against Punjab.

For Delhi, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis remains their best hope. Though the Australian went wicketless against Chennai in the last match, his three boundaries coming down the order helped Delhi seal off the victory.

Rishabh Pant trumps Jos Buttler behind the stumps any day, especially in Indian conditions. He is currently the Indian cricket team’s first-choice wicket-keeper and has been acquainted with Rabada and Nortje’s pace in the Indian T20 League as well.

Buttler, on the other hand, wasn’t given the wicket-keeping duties in the first match with Sanju Samson taking the onus upon himself, a move that has been questioned by Michael Vaughan.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Manjunath Kiran

The 2021 Indian T20 League auction witnessed several records being smashed and some unexpected turns in Chennai.

While South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris clinched a record-breaking Rs 16.25 crore deal, there were some big names that failed to attract any bidders. 

CHRIS MORRIS BECOMES THE MOST EXPENSIVE OVERSEAS BUY AT AN #IPLAUCTION http://t.co/Yxu2cRfMLU pic.twitter.com/JyrP3s1z7d

�?ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 18, 2021

Among the big players who remained unsold were Hanuma Vihari, Gurkeerat Singh, Alex Hales, Jason Roy,  Shaun Marsh, and Sheldon Cottrell.

All these names have proved themselves either in international cricket or in the Indian T20 League. But unfortunately, all these players failed to make the cut. Here is the Unsold XI from this year's auction.

Best Unsold XI from 2021 Indian T20 League auction

Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Shaun Marsh, Hanuma Vihari, Gurkeerat Singh, Siddhesh Lad, Atit Sheth, Varun Aaron, Mohit Sharma, Sheldon Cottrell, Ankit Rajpoot

Meanwhile, Karnataka spin bowling all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham also hogged the limelight on Thursday as he was bought for a record Rs 9.25 crore by the Chennai franchise.

So Krishnappa Gowtham becomes the most expensive uncapped player ever #IPLAuction2021

�?Gautam Bhimani (@gbhimani) February 18, 2021

The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith and Moeen Ali were amongst the biggest buys at the auction. 

We welcome the legend, Che #Bujji with a super cute applause from the auction hall! #WhistlePodu #SuperAuction pic.twitter.com/6RdJkKBy5O

�?Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) February 18, 2021

The highlight of the auction was when Chennai were applauded by other teams in the room for buying India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara for his base price of Rs 50 lakh, paving the way for his Indian T20 League return for the first time since 2014.

Feature image courtesy: SportsAdda

South African all-rounder Chris Morris set the records tumbling as he became the most expensive buy at the Indian T20 League auction on Thursday, February 18.

Morris, who last featured for Bangalore, had a base price of Rs 75 lakhs and soon became part of a heavy bidding war between Mumbai, Punjab, Bangalore, and Rajasthan.

As the bid for the 33-year-old went past Rs 13 crores, Mumbai and Rajasthan wrestled for his signature but in the end, it was Rajasthan who prevailed with a record bid of Rs 16.25 crore.

Base price - INR 75 Lac
Sold for - INR 16.25 Cr@rajasthanroyals win the bidding war to bring @Tipo_Morris on board. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/m5AMqKE1Dy

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021

With the purchase, Chris Morris eclipsed the record held by former India stalwart Yuvraj Singh, who was purchased by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 16 crore in the 2015 edition, and Pat Cummins, a Rs 15.5 crore signing for Kolkata in the previous edition.

Earlier, Glenn Maxwell became the first multi-million purchase at the player auction when Bangalore secured his services for 14.25 crore, shrugging off competition from Chennai and Kolkata.

Here are the top five most expensive players in the history of the Indian T20 League auctions:

• Chris Morris - 16.25 crore in 2021 (Bought by Rajasthan)
• Yuvraj Singh - 16.00 crore in 2015 (Bought by Delhi)
• Pat Cummins - 15.50 crore in 2020 (Bought by Kolkata)
• Kyle Jamieson - 15.00 crore in 2021 (Bought by Bangalore)
• Glenn Maxwell - 14.25 crore in 2021 (Bought by Bangalore)

Feature image courtesy: Twitter/ rajasthanroyals

Records were broken during the Indian T20 League auction on Thursday, February 18, with as many as four players finding suitors for over INR 10 Cr. There were indeed some surprising bids, but at the same time, experienced campaigners like Chris Morris, Nathan Coulter Nile, Moeen Ali and Shakib Al Hasan amongst others were acquired to fill in the void.

Entering with a hefty purse, teams like Rajasthan, Bangalore and Punjab were few of the highest spenders and this made the auction all the more interesting.

So with that being said, here we look at five players who landed mighty contracts during the auction.

Chris Morris - Went to Rajasthan for 16.25 cr

Drafted at a base price of 75 L, all-rounder Chris Morris was a subject of an intense bidding war between several teams, which included the likes of Mumbai, Punjab and Rajasthan. But, it was the latter who came out on top with the highest bid of 16.25 crores. Morris, a South African international, has played 70 games during his seven-year stint in the Indian T20 League, and has scored 551 runs at 23.95, and has picked 80 wickets at a decent economy of 7.81.

Morris has always attracted plenty of interest. He was one of the most expensive buys during the 2020 auction as well, with Bangalore splashing 10 cr for his signature, but a relatively substandard return forced them to part ways with the all-rounder ahead of the upcoming edition. With questions over the availability of Ben Stokes haunting, Morris might well and truly turn out to be a better coup for the one-time champions.

Kyle Jamieson - Went to Bangalore for 15 cr

While everyone expected a fight for New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson, no one really anticipated what was in the offering. Like Morris, Jamieson, too, entered with a base price of 75 L, but went for a whopping 15 crores to Virat Kohli’s team Bangalore. The lanky pacer's talent isn't unknown, and there was no surprise that apart from Bangalore, the likes of Delhi and Punjab were in the fray too.

The 26-year-old is indeed a rookie on international circuit, but his overall T20 figures are staggering, to the say the least. In 38 T20s, the towering pacer has picked 54 wickets at an economy of 7.98.

Glenn Maxwell - Went to Bangalore for 14.25 cr

Glenn Maxwell’s ability of changing the course of a game with the bat was one of the reasons why both Chennai and Bangalore went all-out for the Australian batting all-rounder. Maxwell was one of the most expensive players in the 2020 auctions too, with Punjab splashing 10.75 crores, but a sheer disappointing return last year forced the team hierarchy to let go of the player. Chennai and Bangalore’s tussle made one thing clear that both were looking to get a big-hitting allrounder who can make an impact in the lower middle-order and chip in with a few overs here and there too.

Chris Morris . @rajasthanroyals purse . #IPLAuction2021 pic.twitter.com/jM8Ao4VsBo

�?Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 18, 2021

Now, he may well and truly be a gamble, but judging by the unexpected nature of his play, it is indeed worth taking a wager on.

Jhye Richardson - Went to Punjab for 14 cr

Fast bowlers were in limelight during the entirety of the auction on Thursday. Hence, when Jhye Richardson’s name popped out, several teams, including Bangalore, were on red alert. The Virat Kohli-led team engaged in a fierce bidding war with Punjab for the Aussie, but lost out to their opponents, who picked the pacer for 14 cr, making him the second-most expensive bowler in the tournament’s history after Pat Cummins, who went to Kolkata for 15.5 cr last year. 

Richardson’s stocks went up during the 2021 edition of the Big Bash League where he ended up as the highest wicket-taker, scalping 29 wickets in 17 matches at an average and strike rate of 16.31 and 12. 7 respectively. He also bowled at a decent economy of 7.69.

Krishnappa Gowtham - Went to Chennai for 9.25 cr

Bowling all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped player in the Indian T20 League's history after Chennai decided to spend a whopping 9.35 crores. While Gowtham's Indian T20 League career hasn't really taken off in full swing, he has been making a name for himself in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Often seen as a T20 specialist, the 32-year-old has often landed big contracts in the past. In 2018, he was snapped by Rajasthan for 6.2 crores and a season before, team Mumbai paid 6.2 crores for his signature.

While he is not someone who will score big runs or will pick plenty of wickets, his ability of hitting big in the final over and restricting his opponent with the ball is something that will come handy for the MS Dhoni-led team.

The South Africans have been in terrific form in Indian T20 League 2020. They have two representatives in the top 10 of the batting charts, one outrageous impact player in the batting strike-rate chart, the leading wicket-taker and one of the quickest bowlers of the season.

Aside from the aforementioned names, quite a few others have also stepped up and proved to invaluable to their side this season. With South Africa set to take on England in a T20I series later in November, the form of their players will inspire much confidence.

How South Africa potentially line up for the T20Is immediately after and possibly the T20 World Cup next year has been a subject of immense interest right through the season after the incredible performances of their players. But a lot of that will ride on a few other factors too.

Is de Villiers still in contention?

AB de Villiers was set to make a comeback to the national team after retiring in 2018. He had announced that he would be targeting the 2020 T20 World Cup - that is now moved - to make a return to the team and had discussions with head coach Mark Boucher and the skippers before the pandemic struck a blow to those plans.

A lot of de Villiers' return was put down to his form then and the Indian T20 League was the one platform he could showcase his match readiness in. After the kind of stellar season de Villiers has had, it would have been a no-brainer for him to be in the XI if the T20 World Cup were in 2020.

However, with it moved to late 2021, it raises further questions on his availability then, one year down the lane and with potentially another Indian T20 League season in between. If he isn't keen to stretch till then, do South Africa pick him now for the T20Is vs England?

A similar quandary for Morris and Tahir

Chris Morris and Imran Tahir are two others who could form a core part of the bowling attack. While Morris has been in superb fun for Bangalore right through the season with Virat Kohli singling him out as one of their biggest differences this season, Tahir hasn't had game time at Chennai but did quite well in the Caribbean Premier League earlier this year.

Morris had volunteered out of the last few T20I series South Africa played to play around the globe, and his availability remains a question mark. There are no other questions on the pace bowling front with it sporting some of the finest bowlers in recent times in this format.

Imran Tahir, on the other hand, will be 42 when the T20 World Cup kicks off next year and isn't a sure-shot starter if he continues to be sidelined in franchise cricket. South Africa too have preferred to play Tabraiz Shamsi over him in their last couple of series.

Where does Faf bat and does Miller get a look in?

Faf du Plessis is possibly best fit to open the batting, given that he takes time to get going when batting in the middle-order. But South Africa have preferred the likes of Reeza Hendricks and Janneman Malan in the recent past and du Plessis, if he is still in their plans after giving up the captaincy, might be a better choice at the top of the order.

The other question is around David Miller who seems to have lost his reputation quite a bit in franchise cricket too. The large promise he came with hasn't been fulfilled and with Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen having taken on Miller's role. Finally, the southpaw's time in international colours might be coming to a close.

A potential XI if all go in South Africa's favour:

Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Imran Tahir/Tabraiz Shamsi.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Christiaan Kotze