IPL 2022 Playoffs, GT vs RR: 5 X-factor players from both sides

IPL 2022 enters its last leg with the playoffs commencing tonight (May 24). Qualifier 1 pits Gujarat Titans (GT) up against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. While the winner gets a direct entry into the summit clash, the loser will have a second shot at making the final.

Both IPL teams faced off just once earlier in the tournament. The Titans came out victorious by 37 runs thanks to an all-round display led by skipper Hardik Pandya.

RR and GT have both had the luxury of calling upon different players to step up at different junctures in the tournament. Both teams have shown excellent all-round potential, ensuring that the whole has remained greater than the sum of their parts.

Come the first Qualifier tonight, a number of X-factor players across the two sides will have a huge say in how this contest ends. We take a look at five such X-factor players to watch out for in the first playoff game of IPL 2022.

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#5 Yash Dayal - an emerging talent in IPL 2022

GT spent a huge amount of money at the IPL 2022 Auction to acquire the services of Yash Dayal. The left-arm seamer from Uttar Pradesh justified their faith with a string of consistent performances.

Having shown skill and nerve to bowl during any phase of the innings, Dayal has chipped away with nine wickets from seven games. While his economy rate is on the higher side, one must cut him some slack owing to the fact that he operates both in the Powerplay as well as the death overs.

In a GT attack featuring Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan, Dayal has silently slipped under the radar, away from all the attention. A left-arm swing bowler who bowls at decent pace and can hit his yorkers at will - there's an X-factor for you! RR will therefore be wary of Dayal in the IPL 2022 playoffs.

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#4 RR skipper Sanju Samson

Having displayed equal confidence from behind the stumps and with the bat in hand, RR skipper Sanju Samson has truly led from the front in IPL 2022. His batting numbers may not be jaw-dropping, but they certainly aren't shabby by any stretch.

Samson echoes the Royals' positive brand of cricket that they've displayed right through their campaign. It shouldn't come as a surprise should the skipper peak at the right time and come up trumps in the clutch games.

After all, facing the GT spin duo of Rashid Khan and R. Sai Kishore is no mean task. To counter the same, a top-class spin-basher in the mould of Sanju Samson is what RR will need. Having been overlooked for the T20I series against South Africa as well, expect him to come out with some extra spark in a bid to make a statement.

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#3 Rahul Tewatia - GT's finisher

Many eyebrows were raised when the Titans splurged ₹9 crore on Rahul Tewatia’s services at the IPL 2022 Auction. The all-rounder, however, has doused any qualms whatsoever with a string of stunning performances with the bat.

Tewatia's cult status has only grown multifold throughout the course of IPL 2022, having taken up the mantle of the Titans' finisher. So much so that his exploits have earned him the tag of 'Iceman' given how assured and composed he seems under pressure.

The playoffs are all about pressure, which is where a clutch player akin to Tewatia remains one of the main protagonists. Should GT go on to overcome the RR threat, Rahul 'pulling off a Tewatia' will aid their cause by a long way. And while he's been used rather sparsely with the ball, his ability to make things happen makes him the definition of an X-factor player.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

After successfully helping RR chase down 151 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), many may have been left wondering if there was anything Ravichandran Ashwin could possibly not do on the cricket field. A batting average of 30.50 at a strike-rate of 146.40 in IPL 2022 most certainly adds weight to the statement.

And it isn't as though he's had a set batting position either. From being used as a pinch-hitter to sometimes being deployed to induce chaos and negate swing in the powerplay, Ashwin was shored up to put RR's chase back on track in the last game.

With the ball, he has been an institution for defensive bowlers, keeping things steady and tight to allow the attacking Yuzvendra Chahal more leeway. In an RR team that largely comprises of specialists, Ashwin has stepped up as a genuine all-round option. Need an X-factor to step up against GT? He's the man!

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#1 Rashid Khan

Arguably the very definition of the term X-factor, Rashid Khan is GT's man for all seasons and reasons. It's been a relatively quiet season with the ball by his standards, but as he so often does, Rashid has continued to tie down opposition batters in the middle-overs.

Along with the mantle of vice-captaincy, the Afghan sensation has also been tasked with finishing games with the bat in hand. His memorable heist against former team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will find a place in IPL folklore, while one expects many an incredible contribution still to come from the man.

That could well transpire in the IPL 2022 playoffs. The venue for Qualifier 1 against RR (Eden Gardens) is where Rashid turned in a supreme all-round performance in a playoff game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2018. Back at a venue that he has fond memories of, Rashid Khan continues to remain GT's most pivotal cog under pressure.