IPL 2013: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab - Preview

Mohali: As they move closer to the play-off stage, Rajasthan Royals would be looking to guard against complacency when they take on an unpredictable Kings XI Punjab side in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

Led by 40-year-old experienced campaigner Rahul Dravid, the Royals have won eight games out of 12 and are placed third in the table, while Punjab with five wins from 11 matches are in contention for acquiring a play-off berth. The hosts would draw confidence from their dramatic six-wicket win over a formidable Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last tie, where KXIP`s South African import David Miller bailed the team from the dumps and single-handedly won the match, chasing a mammoth 191-run target. `Killer` Miller, the new name which the batsman has acquired from Punjab fans, had struck a 38-ball 101. His ability to bring the team out from tight spots on few other occasions in this season has made Miller an extremely dependable player. He had earlier struck a 41-ball 80 against Pune Warriors. Apart from Miller, Australian Shaun Marsh is another key player, who along with Mandeep Singh and Dravid could easily counter the opposition bowling attack. David Hussey is leading the team in the absence of an under-performing Gilchrist, who dropped himself from the team in the last few matches. The team has looked good at the home turf and would be keen to take maximum advantage with two more matches to be played at home. Punjab have shown the stomach for a fight with some close finishes but they need to put up an all-round performance to get the better of a strong Jaipur outfit. They need to win at least four of the remaining five games to stand a chance for the play-off berth. By and large, Punjab`s bowling has been their strength, with Praveen Kumar getting the ball to swing early on and bowling at a decent economy rate, while Parvinder Awana and leg spinner Piyush Chawla have also chipped in with wickets. On Thursday they would be looking to fire in unison. While Punjab`s morale is high after pulling off an unlikely win against RCB, the Royals are also riding high on confidence, having registered a comprehensive nine-wicket win over laggards Delhi Daredevils at Jaipur on Tuesday night. The visitors would also take heart from the fact that three weeks ago they had bowled out Punjab for just 124 to inflict a crushing six-wicket defeat on them. Dravid, veteran of 164 Tests and 344 ODIs, has been leading from the front and along with Ajinkya Rahane, is providing solid starts. In the last encounter against Delhi, the openers hit half-centuries each as the Royals registered their seventh win at home (Jaipur).