Rajasthan take on Kolkata from 3pm on Sky Sports Cricket, when England's Stuart Broad and Dawid Malan will join us in the studio
Wednesday 18 April 2018 15:31, UK
Here's what's in store in the Indian Premier League today...
Two of the top six-hitters in the IPL will go head to head from 3pm on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event. Rajasthan Royals' Sanju Samson has cracked 12 in three games - 10 of them against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday - while Kolkata Knight Riders' Andre Russell leads the way with 19 from his four matches, 11 of which came in an unbeaten 88 against Chennai Super Kings. With Rajasthan's side also featuring England's Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler and Kolkata having Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa in their ranks, there should be no shortage of boundaries in Jaipur.
Rajasthan hold a 2-1 winning record after defeating RCB - Samson's unbeaten 92 from 45 balls helping the Royals rack up a mammoth 217 in that one - and knocking off Delhi Daredevils in a rain-truncated affair. Those victories came after a nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opener.
Kolkata, meanwhile, have won two and lost two, beating Bangalore and Delhi and falling to Chennai and unbeaten Sunrisers. Monday's success over the Daredevils was memorable for Russell slamming six sixes in a 12-ball 41 and spinner Sunil Narine moving past 100 IPL scalps.
Russell was the aggressor in a fifth-wicket stand of 61 from 22 balls with Nitish Rana (59 off 35), though the latter impressed while completing his fifth IPL fifty. Rana has also made an impact with the ball in the tournament, bagging Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers from successive deliveries in Kolkata's victory over RCB. Keep an eye on KKR's teenage seamer Shivam Mavi, too - he is rapid.
As for Rajasthan, there is no looking past Samson, who added to his burgeoning reputation by taking the Bangalore attack apart on Sunday. Leggie Shreyas Gopal impressed in that clash, though, snaffling Kohli and De Villiers en route to economical figures of 2-22 from his four overs.
Buttler and Stokes have threatened to ignite but their best returns with the bat so far have been scores in the twenties. They will be hoping to make a bigger impact against a Kolkata attack possibly featuring Tom Curran, the Surrey seamer is battling with Mitchell Johnson for the fourth and final overseas berth alongside Windies pair Russell and Narine and Aussie Lynn.
Two members of England's Test team - paceman Stuart Broad and batsman Dawid Malan - will join us for insight, analysis and, hopefully, to reflect on some stellar performances from their countrymen.
Sky Sports will continue to show every IPL game live, so fans from all over can enjoy the best of Indian cricket.
