IPL 2020: RR vs DC: Samson, Smith, Iyer, Dhawan, Pant chase personal milestones

Sharjah, October 9: Rajasthan Royals hope returning to Sharjah will turn their fortunes when they take on Delhi Capitals in Match 23 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday (October 9).

While, RR look to halt their three-match losing streak and earn their third win of the season, DC will look to secure a win to go back to the top of the IPL 2020 standings.

RR kicked off their campaign in style, beating Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah. However, the Steve Smith-led unit were beaten by Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

DC, meanwhile, have won four games out of five with Shreyas Iyer and Co. starting their campaign with a thrilling Super Over-win against KXIP before coming out on top against CSK.

However, Sunrisers Hyderabad denied DC a hat-trick of wins. So, the Delhi franchise bounced back strongly, beating KKR and RCB in the subsequent games.

RR return to their happy-hunting ground where they have registered two wins from as many games, while DC also have secured a victory in a high-scoring match.

Sharjah has been a paradise for batsman and will continiue to be so when Royals clash with Capitals in a match where sixes are guaranteed to rain. While, both teams will work hard for a win, there are few players chasing personal milestones.

Here are the players who are approaching milestones:

Sanju Samson

He set the stage on fire for RR as they took on CSK and KXIP in their first two games, scoring 74 and 85 in Sharjah. While he has not scored big in the following games, a return to Sharjah will give Sanju Samson a chance to renew his batting form,. and if If he fires like he did against CSK and KXIP, RR will be in with a chance of a winning return. Samson requires 2 catches and 120 runs respectively to complete 50 IPL catches and 2500 IPL runs.

Shreyas Iyer

The last time DC played in Sharjah, Iyer hammered an unbeaten 88 off 38 balls with the help of 7 fours and 6 sixes. The DC skipper, who has 181 runs against his name in the IPL 2020 this season, will once again be eager to deliver the goods and power his team to a victory in Sharjah. Shreyas Iyer needs 96 runs to complete 1000 IPL runs as captain.

Jos Buttler

Buttler moved past 1500 IPL runs and brought up his 10th IPL fifty on his way to a 44-ball 70-run blitz against MI. The RR wicketkeeper-batsman will be looking to continue his good run of form in Sharjah, a venue which has remained a batsman's paradise in the IPL 2020. The Engalnd wicketkeeper-batsman is on the verge of reaching more milestones as he needs 2 fours, 7 sixes and 24 runs to complete 100 IPL fours, 50 IPL sixes and 1000 IPL runs for RR.

Steve Smith

Rajasthan Royals skipper Smith, who has scored 2155 in 86 matches, is now 73 runs away from completing 1000 IPL runs as a captain. The Australian run-machine has managed to score two fifties in 5 matches this season, scoring 133 at an average of 26.60 and strike rate of 14.01.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant, who has scored 171 runs and 5 sixes in 5 matches so far, is a six away from completing 100 IPL sixes. The wickerkeeper batsman, who hasn't managed to score a fifty this season, also needs 93 runs to complete 2000 IPL runs.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan, who has had a poor campaign according to his standards and has struck just 3 sixes in the 5 matches so far this season, needs one six to complete 100 IPL sixes. The Delhi opener, who has so far scored 127 runs in 5 matches this season and 4706 overall in IPL, now needs 12 runs to complete 1000 IPL runs for the Delhi franchise.

Robin Uthappa

Making his debut appearance for the Rajasthan Royals, Robin Uthappa has been off color this season, scoring 33 runs in 4 matches and the former Karnataka opener has also been dropped for his poor performance. If he plays, however, Uthappa will have the chance to reach a milestone as he needs 56 runs to complete 4500 IPL runs.