IPL 2021: 3 players you can pick as captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the RR vs PBKS match

Match 4 of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) sees the Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.

RR have never been discussed as one of the favourites for this year's IPL, especially since it was announced that Jofra Archer would miss a portion of the season. Under a new captain in Sanju Samson, the inaugural IPL champions need to get the best of their overseas core to sustain a playoff challenge.

PBKS, meanwhile, made a number of high-profile signings in the IPL 2021 auction. Much of their season hinges on how their new recruits in the bowling department perform, as their formidable top order is bound to come good sooner or later.

RR's squad for IPL 2021: Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Kartik Tyagi, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, David Miller, Manan Vohra, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahim, Chetan Sakariya, K.C. Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

PBKS' squad for IPL 2021: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar

Here are 3 players who could be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the RR vs PBKS IPL 2021 game.

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#3 Nicholas Pooran (PBKS)

Nicholas Pooran

As the captain of the Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T20 2021 earlier this year, Nicholas Pooran played a number of sizzling knocks. He furthered his credentials in shorter-format cricket, which was already enhanced by eye-catching performances in IPL 2020 and Big Bash League 2021.

Pooran is expected to bat at No. 4 for PBKS in IPL 2021, just like he did last year. He'll have the freedom to play his shots within the short Wankhede boundaries, and can be backed to get this season off to a stellar start.

Pooran is a good choice to be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the RR vs PBKS IPL 2021 game.

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#2 Ben Stokes (RR)

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes' batting position for RR in IPL 2021 is yet to be ascertained, but he's bound to have an increased role to take some pressure off Sanju Samson. The southpaw batted as an opener in the previous season, and while this might not continue this year, he could bat at No. 4.

RR director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara claimed that Stokes won't bowl very often in IPL 2021, but the absence of Archer might force him to roll his arm over. Bound to contribute in both departments and in good form, he is an early favourite for the MVP award.

As the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the RR vs PBKS IPL 2021 game, Stokes could return a huge points haul.

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#1 KL Rahul (PBKS)

KL Rahul

KL Rahul was the runaway winner of the Orange Cap last year, but he didn't make as much of an impression as he'd have liked. His strike rate and intent were under question, prompting the PBKS support staff to claim ahead of IPL 2021 that we'll see an attacking version of the skipper this time around.

Rahul has a lot to play for in this IPL. Despite the bagful of runs he scored in IPL 2020, he couldn't take his team to the playoffs. His place in the Indian T20I is under severe threat from Ishan Kishan and Shikhar Dhawan among others, with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.

As a result, we could see him bat with a renewed sense of responsibility and commitment. Rahul is another good choice to be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the RR vs PBKS IPL 2021 game.