Match Preview of Kings XI Punjab & Rajasthan Royals

Ground Reality and pitch:
Following a rain dominated day, Newlands plays host to another T20 day-nighter of the Indian Premier League. After the Chennai-Kolkata match was abandoned due to rain, cricket fans would hope for clear skies when The Kings XI Punjab face the mighty Rajasthan Royals.
Having rained all day on Saturday, the moisture in the pitch would provide assistance for the seamers. However, the recent games played here have also seen the batsmen scoring well, getting their teams to totals in excess of 150. A interesting contest between bat and ball is in store at the Newlands.
Team Updates:
Kings XI Punjab: Beaming with confidence after their first victory against Bangalore, the Punjab team would look to extend their good form when they face Rajasthan. A line-up without the top performer of 2008 - Shaun Marsh and the lightning fast Brett Lee, Punjab would hope for the in-form Bopara to fire again while banking on the likes of Sangakkara and Jayawardene to be amongst runs when battling Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Royals: Upbeat about their 'Super Over' performance and their ability to maintain cool in the death, Rajasthan would look at more wins in their kitty to reestablish their position as champions. Though the batsmen and bowlers of Rajasthan have not had great starts in the recent matches, The 'Spin Wizard' Warne's confidence in the team's young blood paid off when Yusuf Pathan and Kamran Khan pulled off a victory from the brink of defeat. More performances such as these would take Rajasthan to the top half of the points table.
Contests to watch:
Pathan vs. Pathan: The brothers from Baroda would draw swords against each other in today's match, much to the delight of the Newlands crowd. While the older Pathan, Yusuf is carrying the tag of a 'Super Over Hero' to the match, Irfan's three wicket haul against Bangalore helps him match up to his brother. The allround skills of both brothers would be put to test when they face-off at the 'Lords' of South Africa.
Yuvraj vs Warne: After a spate of failures with the bat, Yuvraj hit form at the right time. Having scored the winning runs against Bangalore, Yuvraj would hope for another successful stint with the bat. However, he has to excercise extra caution while facing the 'King of Spin'. Meanwhile, the wily Warne would have his numerous tricks up his sleeve while bowling to Yuvraj, who is known to be an average player of spin.
Numbers Game:
100: The six hit by Yuvraj against Bangalore took the IPL tally of sixers to 100.
18: The number of runs hit by Yusuf Pathan during the 'Super Over'
Sound Bytes:
The first 'Super Over' had to happen to spice up the tournament - Warne commenting on the 'Super Over'.
We decided not to lose a wicket to Kumble so it was just a question of slamming it at the end - Bopara after winning the man of the match.