Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers Match Preview: Top placed Rajasthan take on Deccan Chargers

Rajasthan Royals had been the underdogs of the IPL5 because of the lack of big names. But the team surprised one and all with some spirited performances in the recent matches. Rahane is looking in great from with 2 back to back big scores. The century against RCB must have boosted his confidence much more and there seems to be no stopping him. Another worthy mention among the batsmen in Owais Shah who had already played few destructive innings. Not to forget the experienced Rahul Dravid at the top of the batting order playing the role of anchor. However it would be interesting to watch how the other batsmen will fare if the key players Rahane and Shah gets out cheaply. The bowling too looks good with the local talent Sidharth Trivedi and Pankaj Singh. And then there is the Carribean all rounder Kevin Cooper who can turn the match.

Deccan on the other hand doesn't look that balanced side compared to Rajasthan. Their batting looks lackluster with Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhawan opening the innings. A good opening stand will be the key and the openers needs to do that to set up the platform. The batting is heavily dependent on the overseas players Sangakkara, Cameron White and Dan Christian. If any of these players bats long, Deccan chargers could easily pile up good score. Dale Steyn spearheads the bowling with Amit Mishra and Manpreet Gony. Steyn proved how devastating he could be with the bowling figures of 3/12(4 overs) in the match against Mumbai Indians. However the pitch at Jaipur is batsmen friendly and Steyn may not be a big worry for RR.

Rahul Dravid will be looking forward to maintain the winning momentum and the team's record at home is fabulous. Sangakkara's men have lost the 2 games that they have played and will be very keen to open their points tally. Meanwhile the spectators can expect a run feast at the Jaipur stadium. Key Players for Rajasthan Royals: Rahane and Shah who have been in outstanding form. Deccan chargers need to trap them early to stay in contention.

Key Players for Deccan Chargers: Cameron White and Dan Christian. Expectations are huge from these players to turn around the fortune of the players.

My Prediction: Rajasthan's consistency would be tough to break for the Deccan.

Likely Eleven: Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Owais Shah, Brad Hodge, Ashok Menaria, Johan Botha, Brad Hogg, Siddharth Trivedi, Amit Singh, Pankaj Singh

Deccan Chargers: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Shikhar Dhawan ,Parthiv Patel (wk), Bharat Chipli, Daniel Christian, Cameron White, Ravi Teja, Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn, Ankit Sharma, Anand Rajan

Start of play: 4 PM