After as many as three near-misses, Rajasthan Royals (RR) were finally able to break their five-match-old losing streak. And it took them breaking the record books to do that. While a win, and the kind they got over Gujarat Titans (GT), does mean they might have rejuvenated themselves, it does not really mean they are the favourites or even have better chances at making it to the playoffs. It will still demand plenty from them. But at least they have the roadmap laid in front of them. If they wish to do better against the big guns, they ought to oil their batting wheels.
Especially against a team like Mumbai, they will need that. They have Jasprit Bumrah, whose mere presence is threatening enough, and he has started firing on that too. Trent Boult has turned out to be as lethal a pace option. And last but not least, they have Hardik Pandya, who has faced some tough luck lately but is as much of a ticking time bomb for the opposition.
And on top of all, Mumbai do not have to do any undoing of the impacts of their losses. They are already on a five-game winning streak and resting serenely in the top three. They also have the highest NRR for any team right now, and a win could shoot them right to the top of the table. Some journey that would be!
Team Overview:
Mumbai Indians’ campaign this year saw their top-order, bar Suryakumar Yadav, who is just 29 runs short of the Orange Cap, struggling to stay on the crease to seeing them carry the entire side. Ryan Rickelton seems to have settled with adding some sensibility to his knocks. Rohit Sharma scored two back-to-back fifty-plus runs, and though he went out for the softest of dismissals against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Wankhede, he doesn’t look in the mood of going off colour once again. Will Jacks has yet to go for a big score, but prospects seem promising for him. The middle-order might not be as war-ready, but they have done what was required of them, especially more often lately. Jasprit Bumrah helped MI get home with four wickets against LSG. His spell showed lasting glimpses of the old Bumrah, and what a time to have him hit his form. With him is Trent Boult, who has taken seven wickets in his last two games, hitting the immaculate line and length.
Rajasthan Royals look to be making their way back on track on the back of their top-order batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and rookie Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Suryavanshi took the world by storm with his blasting century in the last game. But throwing the weight of all their expectations on a teenager might not bring RR the sort of results they want. Despite winning their last game thanks to how the openers fared, RR’s problems are far from over. The rotten part is still intact, which is their middle-order, which has refused to chip in to the total this season more often than not. Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, though, have done some face-saving for the side in the middle overs and haven’t been too bad, but the problem is their batting almost finishes by No. 7, where Wanindu Hasaranga comes after an out-of-form Shimron Hetmyer.
Head-to-Head Matches:
The head-to-head record for both teams is nearly equal, with MI winning just one game more than RR’s 15 wins in 31 matches.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Jaipur has huge ground dimensions, which is the first thing batters dislike about the ground. The second thing is the usual presence of grass on the deck. In the last game, however, both teams managed to get past 200 runs. Expect spinners to dominate here, but pacers will get early pace and bounce. Batting should become easier in the second innings as soon as the dew creeps up.
Prediction:
It wouldn’t be an easy task for RR to dominate MI, but it wouldn’t entirely be impossible if they stick to basics.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
