The form of the middle order, particularly that of skipper Riyan Parag, will be a key concern as Rajasthan Royals look to arrest a slide after back-to-back defeats when they take on a struggling Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL match, here on Wednesday. Placed third in the points table, the inaugural edition champions began their campaign with four successive wins but have since faltered in their last two outings.

They suffered a 57-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad after collapsing dramatically, losing five wickets for nine runs against pace. In their previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders, RR let a strong position slip as Rinku Singh engineered a stunning turnaround to hand KKR their first win in seven matches this season. As for Parag, a surprise choice as their skipper after Sanju Samon's exit, has endured a pathetic run with the bat, registering three single-digit scores in six innings with a highest of just 20 so far.