IPL 2024: Royals eye top-two finish, Rayudu feels Samson & Co. 'have fate in their own hands'

Royals` Yashasvi Jaiswal gets clean-bowled (Pic: AFP)

Having already sealed their ticket to IPL 2024 playoffs, Rajasthan Royals will try to better their Net Run Rate (NRR) when they clash against the ousted Punjab Kings in their penultimate league game on Wednesday.

Placed second in the 10-team table with 16 points, Royals need to ensure one win in their next two 'home' games by a huge margin. That will be enough to seal the second spot. For the past few years, Guwahati has been Royals' second home base and it was a strategic move by the franchise having invested a good six years in tapping Parag's potential.

Panned for being inconsistent on social media platforms, youngster Riyan Parag's homecoming this year is special as his performance of 483 runs at a strike-rate of 153 despite not being an opener is simply outstanding.

A stable core and improvisation as per match situations have already made Parag an India contender for the next T20 series where he is expected to make his international debut.

As and when it happens, Parag will become the first cricketer hailing from the north-eastern part of the country to wear the senior team's iconic blue jersey. His emergence as the cricketing face from the region makes this and the RR's next match against KKR more significant.

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Skipper Sanju Samson, meanwhile, has grown in stature as a leader in what is expected to be his best season as a batter. He already is his team's top-scorer with 486 runs in IPL 2024. The dynamic opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal (344 runs) and Jos Buttler (359 runs) have had an average season by their standards but Parag and Samson have ensured that batting remained solid and consistent with he low-scoring game against CSK being an aberration.

RR's strongest aspect is their bowling unit that has never been taken to the task as such during the whole season. Sandeep Sharma (Economy Rate 8.07) at the death and Trent Boult (ER 8.38) at the start have executed plans to the 'T'. Ravichandran Ashwin has only become sharper as the tournament has progressed and Yuzvendra Chahal can always produce that magic ball against the run of play.

Speaking exclusively to Star Sports Cricket Live, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu shared his thoughts on Rajasthan Royal's chances of making it to the second spot, "Of course, they would love to win the next game they are playing and ideally should be winning it because the final game they play is against KKR. I don't think KKR will give them anything easy, because they will be scared about RR coming into the playoffs, especially in the top 2, given the form RR have shown in the tournament. So, I feel they have their fate in their own hands and I think they are going to pull through and qualify in the top 2 at the expense of CSK."

(With agency inputs)