IPL 2021 PBKS vs RR: Top five players to watch out for in Match 32 on Sep 21

Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals are all set to play their first match of IPL 2021 second phase in the UAE on Sunday. When the sides came face-to-face in their previous encounter earlier in April, Punjab managed to steal a win from Rajasthan after Sanju Samson came agonisingly close and failed to score four runs off the final ball of the innings.

Both teams are currently placed at the bottom of the points table with six points each. Rajasthan has an edge over Punjab on the points table because of its better net run rate. Let's take a look at the top five players to watch out for in tonight's game at the Dubai International Stadium.

KL Rahul

Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul will look to continue his good form in the IPL when he takes the field against Rajasthan this evening. Rahul is currently placed number two on the list of highest run-scorers in IPL 2021. Rahul needs 49 runs to displace Delhi Capitals opener, Shikhar Dhawan, from the top spot, who has 380 runs so far in the ongoing season. Rahul will come into the second phase of IPL 2021 on the back of a stellar performance in the recently-concluded Test series against England. 

Ravi Bishnoi

Bishnoi made his IPL debut in the 2020 edition, where he played 14 games for Punjab and managed to pick 12 wickets, impressing everyone with his amazing skills. When the IPL 2021 began in April this year, Bishnoi again looked in good form as he picked up 4 wickets in 4 matches.

However, his momentum was halted as IPL 2021 was postponed following the outbreak of COVID inside multiple camps. Bishnoi will look to capitalise on his past performances and make full use of the spinning conditions in the UAE.

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson, the captain of the Rajasthan Royals, will be eager to gain early momentum in the IPL 2021 second phase, and what better way to do that than by scoring some runs. In the first leg in India, Sanju seemed in fantastic form, even scoring his third IPL century. Samson's century came against Punjab, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Kerala star fires against the same opposition once again.

Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia may not have had an ideal first half in IPL 2021, however, his match-winning performances from the last edition are what fans would be hoping to see from the all-rounder. The 28-year-old had scored 255 runs and had picked 10 wickets in the 2020 season, which was held in the UAE. Tewatia has not been able to replicate the same form this year but he will be hoping to contribute to his team's performance when Rajasthan plays its first match of IPL 2021 second phase in the UAE tonight. 

Liam Livingstone

Livingstone made his IPL debut in 2019, where he played four matches for Rajasthan Royals. He scored 71 runs in his four matches for Rajasthan in 2019, which came at an average of 23.66. The Englishman has been in amazing form for the past couple of months, especially in England, where he has performed exceptionally well with the bat, even scoring a T20I century against Pakistan in Nottingham. He also played a couple of great knocks in the Hundred, hitting three 50+ scores for Birmingham Phoenix. 

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