‘It reminds me of Rajasthan Royals when they won title under Shane Warne’ | Cricket

42 matches have already been over in the ongoing 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) which has so far been filled with unexpected performances which the points table clearly reflects. The heavyweights have found their place at the bottom of the table, hanging on a thread in the competition, while a few surprising names have found their place in the top half of the table. And while the better part of the season still awaits, former England captain Kevin Pietersen has picked the “team to beat” in IPL 2022, comparing them to the likes of Rajasthan Royals team of 2008. (Follow IPL 2022 Live Coverage)

Most hadn’t backed the Gujarat Titans team to be in the top half of the table after being criticised for their auction strategy, but the Hardik Pandya-led side presently stand at the top of the table with just one loss in eight games. The side now stands just a few wins away from booking their place in the playoffs.

IPL 2022 Live Score, GT vs RCB

Writing about the Titans on his Betway.in column, Pietersen admitted, “At the moment, it looks like Gujarat Titans are going to be difficult to stop in the IPL. They are consistently finding ways to win, whether from a good, middling or bad position in games. When you have that winning mentality, it becomes very difficult to break. I didn’t see them being at the top of the table when I first saw their squad, but they are on a roll.”

The former RCB player further mentioned that the team reminded him of the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals side who were written off by everyone at the start of the 2008 season.

“It reminds me of Rajasthan Royals when they won the title under Shane Warne in 2008 – they weren’t the best side on paper but everybody knew what they were doing and they had a great mentality, ” he added. “When you’re winning like that, the energy in the dressing room is so positive.

“Nobody talks about defeats, everybody has a smile on their face, and everybody is thinking positively. That then allows you to go out and express yourself and play even better.

They’re not inhibited. They’re just doing what feels right instinctively. Look at Rashid Khan when he got them over the line against Sunrisers Hyderabad the other night. He just had this positive attitude and was able to pull it off.”

Pietersen also picked his two other best teams in the competition. He feels that while Rajasthan Royals are doing good, he wants Delhi Capitals to bounce back strongly in the competition.

“Rajasthan Royals are going really well, too, while I expect Delhi Capitals, with all of their experience, to make a good push for the top four. Those three teams are my favourites to win the competition.”