JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals have clicked as a unit, finding ways to cross the finish line no matter what the situation is. One of the highlights of their successful campaign so far is the impactful performance from the middle-order, something that was largely absent in the previous seasons.
While a majority of the runs have come from the willows of
Jos Buttler
,
Sanju Samson
and
Riyan Parag
's willows, cameos from the Caribbean duo of Shimron Hetmyer and
Rovman Powell
have proved game changing.
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In a format where teams thrive on strike rates, Hetmyer has hit the top-gear this year and is striking the ball at 194.44, highest-ever since his debut in IPL in 2019. His next best is 168.05 in 2021.
Similarly, the West Indies T20 skipper Powell boasts of 205.56 strike rate. Unlike his compatriot, who has played all the seven games so far, Powell got the opportunity in two games, and he made it count.
Royals' in-form opener Jos Buttler conceded that having the two in the middle-order gives others a lot of space to play their natural game.
"As a team everyone has been contributing really well. In different games, different guys have stood up. Particularly those two guys Hetmyer and Powell have so much power and experience. I feel having those guys in the middle-order and knowing they are still to come allows the others to play with a lot of freedom," the England T20 captain said during media interaction on the eve of Royals' home game against
Mumbai Indians at the SMS Stadium here on Sunday.
The battle on Monday gives skipper Samson's side a chance to strengthen their hold at the top of the points table while it is an opportunity for Hardik Pandya-led visitors to steady their ship as the second half of the league stage gets underway. Buttler feels that they cannot take Mumbai Indians lightly.
At the Wankhede Stadium earlier this month, Royals trounced Mumbai by six wickets and so far, they failed to get on as a team. Mumbai batsman Tilak Varma is hoping that in the coming games their bowlers will be able to execute the plans better.
"Bowlers are practicing hard with our coach Lasith Malinga and are working on executing their yorkers and slower bouncers to perfection," Varma said.
English (US) ·