Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Mumbai Indians (MI) will host Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 42 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, April 30. Both teams have faced off against each other 27 times, with MI winning 14 times while RR have come out victorious on 12 occasions.
RR, who are currently at the second of the IPL 2023 points table, will aim to make their way to the top. They have five wins from eight matches and are tied with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with 10 points. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, are currently placed in the ninth spot.
The Rohit Sharma-led side had a dismal start to the season, closely resembling their performance in the previous edition. To remain in playoff contention, the five-time IPL champions must bounce back in their remaining matches. Thus, viewers are expected to be treated to a thrilling contest as both teams will aim for victory in the high-octane clash in Mumbai.
Pitch and Conditions
Since the dimensions of the Wankhede Stadium are small, the batting-friendly surface encourages batters to go for runs. However, fast bowlers could be seen posing a challenge for batters in the last couple of matches, indicating that the pitch also has something in it for bowlers. In addition, medium pacers typically manage to capitalise on the surface.
Probable Playing XI for MI vs RR
Mumbai Indians
MI batters struggled with the bat in their previous match against Gujarat Titans, with no batters scoring a half-century. Notably, their top order has failed to provide the team with powerful starts in this season. The performance of the batters, therefore, will be the main concern for the five-time champions.
Probable Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Kumar Kartikeya, Arjun Tendulkar, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff
Rajasthan Royals
Despite opener Jos Buttler failing to score according to his potential in the last couple of matches, most of the RR batters are currently in form. The top and middle orders are the strength of Sanju Samson’s team. Notably, their bowlers have also done well this season. They are likely to show up against MI without any change in the lineup.
Probable Playing XI: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c, wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jason Holder, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, & Yuzvendra Chahal
MI vs RR Head-to-head
Played – 27 Mumbai Indians – 14