The Hindu (Tiruchirapalli)

Royals and Super Giants ready to lock horns

- P.K. Ajith Kumar

Rahul and Jaiswal will look to play big roles in Super Giants and Royals’ campaigns.

The cool breeze blowing across the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is rather a relief on this scorching Saturday afternoon. At the nets, Jos Buttler is taking on Avesh Khan.

Buttler is one of Rajasthan Royals’ most familiar faces, having joined the franchise in 2018, but Avesh is sporting pink for the first time, after being traded by Lucknow Super Giants for Devdutt Padikkal.

Interestin­gly, Royals is taking on his former team in the first game for both

the sides in Season 17 of the IPL.

For the moment, he is involved in an interestin­g battle at the nets. Soon after being lofted over longoff area by England’s whiteball captain, Avesh forces a thick outside edge. A little later, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has proved such a wise investment for Royals, walks in.

Buttler and Jaiswal are one of the most explosive and gifted opening pairs in the IPL. Jaiswal rarely puts a foot wrong these days, while Buttler has been one of the league’s most successful batters.

Captain Sanju Samson,

Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell make it a formidable batting lineup.

In the exceptiona­l spin duo of R. Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal and the experience­d seamer Trent Boult, the bowling looks balanced.

For LSG, the absence of the English pacers Mark Wood and David Willey may be a setback, but the West Indies quick Shamar Joseph’s is among the season’s most awaited debuts.

Skipper K.L. Rahul, who is returning from injury, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers promise runs aplenty.

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SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR Star cast:

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