Rajasthan Royals resume their IPL 2021 campaign with a crunch clash against Punjab Kings in Dubai on Tuesday. Both teams have six points in their kitty but RR have played a match less than PBKS. The Royals have added the left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi to their roster as a replacement and he could play a crucial role going ahead in the tournament. Spin has been RR’s weakness in IPL 2021 so far as the team’s tweakers have picked just 3 wickets in the tournament, which is the worst among all the teams.

Shamsi’s addition could add the much needed zing in Royals’ bowling attack. The South African can trouble batsmen with his variety and has been in great form in T20 cricket this year.

Shamsi has picked up 41 wickets in 28 T20 encounters this year, which makes him the third most successful bowler in the format in 2021, behind Rashid Khan and Mustafizur Rahman.

Apart from a stellar economy rate of 6.6 runs per over, the Protea tweaker also has an impressive strike rate of 14.8.

Shamsi could be an asset for Royals against Punjab Kings as he will get a natural turn away from left-handers like Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran. If included in the playing XI, Shamsi could prove to be the deciding factor in this crunch encounter.