Eoin Morgan names two Rajasthan Royals’ players KKR need to dismiss early
Morgan has marked Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson as the key men from the opposition ranks. RR skipper Steve Smith has been reliable with two half-centuries, but it’s their No. 3 batsman Sanju Samson, who has grabbed the headlines this season with his sensational batting.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will look to embark on a winning run in the Indian Premier League when they face the undefeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday. They defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets due to spirited efforts by Shubman Gill, Pat Cummins, and Eoin Morgan. But they will be wary of the threat provided by a dangerous batting unit in Rajasthan Royals.
RR went past the 200-run mark in all their previous games and their top order looks in great touch. And KKR are wary of the threat provided by them. KKR's Eoin Morgan has identified two batsmen that KKR need to target if they have to come on top at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Morgan has marked Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson as the key men from the opposition ranks. RR skipper Steve Smith has been reliable with two half-centuries, but it's their No. 3 batsman Sanju Samson, who has grabbed the headlines this season with his sensational batting.
With Buttler also in the mix, KKR's main target would be to stop the top-three, the reigning World Cup-winning England skipper said.
"The honest answer is that they are good players and you have to get them out. If they bat for 20 overs, you're probably going to lose the game, particularly Buttler and Samson," Morgan said in an interaction.
Rajasthan Royals have notched 200-plus scores in both their matches and against Kings XI Punjab, they chased down an IPL record target of 224.
"They obviously have a very well-drilled and experienced side. I suppose the challenges from our point of view, is to try and focus on our own game to start with.
"If we can produce a performance and improve on the game, I think then that will allow us to execute strategies and plans for Smith, Buttler and Samson to try and make inroads.
"Steve Smith obviously is in fine form. They've had some good success in the limited games that they've played. Hopefully, we can build on our game, and produce our first win in Dubai," he said.
Morgan's England teammate Jofra Archer will be the pace spearhead for RR and he hoped to negate his threat.
"He's a very difficult opponent to come up against. It's not his batting we'll be worried about. It will be his bowling. Hopefully, we can negate that, make plans, he's played in the IPL now for a long time so guys know him better than they have done before. So again, we need to play well enough to try and implement plans," Morgan said.