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Join UsShimron Hetmyer has made his return to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) lineup for their high-stakes IPL 2024 Eliminator match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The game is being held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Hetmyer, who missed the last four matches due to a niggle, has replaced Shubham Dubey and will play as an impact substitute in this do-or-die encounter.
Hetmyer’s performance in the IPL 2024 season has been underwhelming so far. The West Indies player has scored only 83 runs in seven innings, though he remained unbeaten in four of those innings.
His previous outing against RCB was noteworthy, where he scored an unbeaten 11 off six deliveries, helping his team secure a six-wicket victory on April 6. Hetmyer’s return is seen as critical for RR’s success in this crucial playoff match.
In Hetmyer’s absence, Shubham Dubey struggled to make an impact, scoring 8*, 25, and a duck in his three games.
Captain Sanju Samson’s Comments
At the toss, RR captain Sanju Samson confirmed Hetmyer’s return, stating:
“That has been the challenging part – fitness and injuries. Hetty comes back.”
RR are also without England captain Jos Buttler, as the English players are unavailable for the IPL 2024 playoffs. Tom Kohler-Cadmore will open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
RR Opts to Bowl First
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to bowl first against RCB. Explaining his decision, Samson said:
“Would like to bowl first looking at the conditions and the wicket. There was dew last night.”
Samson expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back after losing four consecutive games, stating:
“When you have bad days, need to have the character and confidence.”
RCB’s Lineup and Recent Form
RCB has fielded an unchanged side following their impressive run of six consecutive wins. The Faf du Plessis-led team recently secured a notable 27-run victory over the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru to qualify for the playoffs. RCB is eager to win their first IPL trophy in the tournament’s history.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Swapnil Singh, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson.
Impact subs: Swapnil Singh, Anuj Rawat, Suyash Prabhudessai, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Himanshu Sharma.
Rajasthan Royals XI: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Simarjeet Singh.
Impact subs: Shivam Dube, Sameer Rizvi, Prashant Solanki, Shaik Rasheed, Mukesh Choudhary.
With Hetmyer back in the squad, RR aims to leverage his experience and skill to advance further in the playoffs. Will his return be the turning point for Rajasthan, or will RCB continue their winning streak? The stage is set for an exciting showdown!
