Event of the Day: Rajasthan Royals versus Kolkata Knight Riders
Our event of the day is the IPL matchup between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Both of these teams have two wins from their opening games, with Rajasthan having played one less than their opponents, who have played four. KKR won their previous game against Delhi Daredevils, in part thanks to Andre Russell’s explosive 41 from just 12 deliveries, although Nitish Rana (59 from 35) and Robin Uthappa (35 from 19) also contributed nicely. Of the 64 balls that Andre Russell has faced so far in this tournament, he has hit 19 of them for six and currently has a strike rate of over 239. Sunil Narine is another KKR danger man, with his destructive top order batting and tidy off-breaks.
The Royals meanwhile, lost their opening game but have won their last two matches, beating the Delhi Daredevils and then the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a high scoring game. With stars such as Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane in their squad, one could be forgiven for being surprised that it was 23-year-old Sanju Samson who played the match-winning knock of 92 off 45 deliveries, including ten maximums. Samson, up to this point, has scored 178 runs in just three innings, and is one of the form players in the IPL. With both of these teams focusing on stacking their teams with explosive batsmen, this match is set up perfectly for a high scoring thriller.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NHL, which sees the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Penguins won the last game 5-1 to take a 2-1 lead in what has been a topsy-turvy series so far. Elsewhere in the NHL playoffs, the New Jersey Devils play the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Colorado Avalanche face the Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks play the Anaheim Ducks. In the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Indiana Pacers at the Quicken Loans Arena, the Houston Rockets continue their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz square off at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. In the English Premier League, Bournemouth play Manchester United whilst in La Liga, Real Madrid host Athletic Bilbao. In Serie A, Fiorentina play Lazio and AZ Alkmaar play Vitesse Arnhem at the AFAS Stadion in the Eredivisie. In the German DFB-Pokal semi-final, Schalke play Eintracht Frankfurt with the winner set to face Bayern Munich in the final in May. Premier League Darts continues from the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, with highflyers Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith and Rob Cross all in action. In MLB, the Chicago Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field whilst it’s Day 4 of The Monte-Carlo Masters.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by IPL T20