IPL 2018: Match 47, MI vs RR, Preview- Buttler-powered Royals raring to take on the rejuvenated Mumbai

Both Mumbai and Rajasthan won their previous matches against Kolkata and Punjab respectively.

Published - 12 May 2018, 19:08 IST | Updated - 12 May 2018, 19:08 IST

2 Min Read

The Mumbai Indians (MI) won four out of their last five matches and are steadfastly presenting themselves as a force to reckon with as the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) inching closer to the playoffs. Rohit Sharma’s men humbled the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens by a mammoth margin of 102 runs and that has boosted their net run rate to a significant extent.

The franchise languished at the bottom of the table and is currently placed at the fourth position of the league table. Their next encounter is against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) who have picked up form in their last couple of games against the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) respectively. Jos Buttler’s form ensured that the Royals keep themselves in contention for a top-four finish.

Mumbai lost their previous match against Ajinkya Rahane’s men at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium is expected to assist the batsmen and the bowlers might not have much to cheer. Batsmen from both teams have been reasonable and they need to come to the party. Meanwhile, the teams can’t afford a goof-up, which can be a major detriment for them moving ahead.

Toss: RR won the toss and elected to bowl first

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

Team Combination

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai are likely to go unchanged in the next match. Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis should be the openers. Rohit Sharma comes next followed by Ishan Kishan, who played a whirlwind knock in the last match against KKR. Hardik and Krunal Pandya have been in decent enough form for the franchise to pin hopes on them. Ben Cutting’s big shots also might be required.

The bowlers are one of the primary reasons why MI have been able to stage a comeback. The pacers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell McClenaghan were exceptional in the last match. Hardik has been a prolific wicket-taker and the team is expected to look up to him for making inroads into the Royals’ batting lineup. Krunal and Mayank Markande will shoulder the spin-bowling department.

Rajasthan Royals

The Royals aren’t expected to make any changes either. A lot will depend on Jos Buttler as he has been their main man at the top of the order. Ajinkya Rahane might open with him as the Stokes-experiment flopped against CSK. Sanju Samson’s prowess with the willow also need to come good and he has to continue his impressive run of form for the visiting team. Krishnappa Gowtham’s power hitting has been a handy prospect down the order.

In the bowling department, Jofra Archer has been impressive as he has churned out wickets in crunch moments of the match. Gowtham has successfully bowled inside the power-play and mostly hasn’t let his team down. Jaydev Unadkat’s wily medium pace also needs to come to the fore. Ben Stokes hasn’t had the best of tournaments, but he has the potential to make an impact.

Players to watch out for

Hardik Pandya- Mumbai Indians

Hardik Pandya is presently the second best wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 wickets in ten games. Albeit he hasn’t had an overwhelming outing thus far with the willow, he has nipped out wickets, frequently enough to get the opponents on the mat. His all-round show will be vital for the Indians to romp to their fourth victory on the trot.

Ajinkya Rahane- Rajasthan Royals

Ajinkya Rahane’s form has dipped as the matches have gone by. Prior to the event, he was expected to be a stalwart for the Royals, however, he hasn’t been able to step up when the team desperately needed their skipper’s services. Rahane has been brought up at the Wankhede and his knowledge of the pitch might just be the factor which turns his fortunes around.