IPL 2021 has started on a great note. There have already been quite a few games that have gone down the wire. All the teams have played at least one game each. Batsmen and bowlers have left their stamp on the IPL. Except for Chennai, all the other 3 venues have been good batting wickets. Bowlers have to come up with plans to counter the short boundaries and bigger bats as the tournament progresses. Teams will have to unearth newer heroes in every game to stay in contention for the playoffs.
Challenge for teams:
IPL 2021 has done away with the concept of home and away. All teams are required to play in neutral venues. This has negated the curated strength of the squad to a certain extent. Despite all odds, few players have put in striking performances. Few such players must have gone unsold in the fantasy auctions earlier. It is time you make a note of such key players and include them in your StumpsandBails fantasy team.
IPL 2021: RR vs SRH preview
Rajasthan Royals fought till the very end in their first two games. They narrowly lost against PK in their first game. RR valiantly stayed in the chase of a gargantuan total. They made amends in the second game against DC. Their tactic of taking pace off the ball worked wonderfully well. RR restricted DC to a below-par score of 147. They were struggling at one stage (42-5) chasing the total. Their foreign players, David Miller and Chris Morris bailed them out. But they came a cropper against CSK.
RR were completely outplayed and this must have dented their confidence. Their bowling came short and their batting looked clueless. RCB trashed RR in their last game. RR lost by 10 wickets to RCB. But RR stunningly reversed their fortunes and came back to post a clinical win over KKR. They suffered a loss against MI. The team has been hamstrung by pullouts and injuries. RR’s biggest opportunity lies in its adversity.
Sunrisers Hyderabad played all their initial 5 games at the Chepauk, Chennai. They lost their first 3 games from a position where they could have won the match. SRH’s infamous middle order again proved to be their Achilles heel. They literally seem to have no answers to the batting collapses. SRH finally won against PK and won comfortably. The return of Kane Williamson strengthened the squad. He almost took them to victory against DC but faltered at the last step. SRH have been let down by some questionable tactics. Post their loss against CSK, SRH management have sacked David Warner as their captain and appointed Kane Williamson as their new leader. They are clearly a side in turmoil.
IPL 2021: Players to have in your StumpsandBails Fantasy Team
Sanju Samson:
Sanju Samson has been one of the leading run-getters this season. He has played 3 innings that had the captain’s stamp on it. His 119 against PK was one of the best knocks in IPL history. Samson has previously scored a century against SRH in IPL 2019. He will fancy playing against SRH. RR too needs a special knock from Samson to get their campaign back on track. He can be a valued addition to your StumpsandBails fantasy team.
Kane Williamson:
Kane Williamson has featured in 3 games for SRH. He has amassed 108 runs without being dismissed even once. Williamson is newly appointed SRH captain. He previously led the team in 2018 and 2019. Williamson in fact won the orange cap in 2018 scoring 735 runs at an average of 52.5 and struck at 142.44. His captaincy skills will be under the radar as he tries to bring SRH back into the league. Williamson is class personified. He will be keen to prove a point. We recommend including Williamson in your fantasy team.
