IPL 2025: Inconsistent Rajasthan Royals Desperately Need Win Against Lucknow Super Giants

An inconsistent Rajasthan Royals will be desperate to plug the holes across departments and halt a three-match losing streak when they host Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League in Jaipur on Saturday. With just two wins from seven games, the Royals are languishing at eighth on the table and come into the contest on the back of a gut-wrenching Super Over defeat to Delhi Capitals. As the league hits the halfway mark, they'll need to shake off the heartbreak quickly if they hope to upstage Rishabh Pant's men and climb out of the bottom half.

Plagued by inconsistency in both batting and bowling, RR's campaign has struggled to find momentum. To make matters worse, skipper Sanju Samson suffered a side strain in the previous match and had to retire hurt, though he later said he was feeling "alright." The Royals' batting, built around Indian mainstays, has mis-fired far too often, leaving the middle order exposed and under pressure.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, seems to have shaken off his rustiness with back-to-back half centuries against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and DC. But it will have to be seen if he carries the momentum in Saturday's match.

Samson is yet to produce a defining knock, with the 66 he made in RR's first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad being his best so far. A lot will depend on his and Jaiswal's form regarding how RR fare against the likes of Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi.

Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel have not made much contribution so far in the batting front and duo need to fire if RR have to post or chase down a big total.

Nitish Rana came back to form with a 51 against DC after the 81 he made against Chennai Super Kings last month, and he needs to carry on