As the IPL league stage enters its final stretch before the knockout rounds begin next week, Rajasthan Royals find themselves just one win away from sealing the last remaining playoff spot. Standing in their way are a struggling Mumbai Indians side, who will look to end a disappointing campaign on a positive note when the two teams meet at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
RR currently sit fourth on the table with 14 points and know that a victory over Mumbai will take them to 16 points, enough to keep them ahead of both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the race for the playoffs. However, if Rajasthan lose, they will need both Punjab and KKR to lose their final league matches to stay alive in the competition.
The inaugural IPL title-holders head into the contest with greater momentum despite an inconsistent run in recent matches. More than teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, it is opener Yashasvi Jaiswal who remains their biggest threat. The left-hander was destructive against Mumbai earlier this season in Guwahati, smashing 77 off just 32 balls against Jasprit Bumrah and company to set up a dominant win.
Jaiswal now returns to the Wankhede Stadium, a venue where he scored his maiden IPL century three years ago and followed it up with another hundred against the same opposition the following season.
RR, however, will hope for stronger contributions from skipper Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel in the middle order. While Jurel has shown promise without consistently finishing games, Parag, too, has struggled to maintain rhythm through the season.
On current form though, Rajasthan appear the more dangerous side, with several players finding form at the right stage of the tournament.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, have endured a disappointing campaign and are already out of playoff contention. Their recent form mirrors Rajasthan’s with two wins and three losses in the last five games, but MI will still look to play for pride in front of their home crowd.
The match also offers one final opportunity this season for India stars Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma to make an impact and help Mumbai finish on a winning note.
For Jasprit Bumrah, the end of the IPL could also provide a much-needed break after a long stretch of white-ball cricket.
Historically, there has been very little to separate Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Out of the 33 matches played between the two sides, MI have won 17 while RR have claimed 16 victories, with one match ending in a no result. Mumbai, however, have enjoyed a stronger record at the Wankhede Stadium, winning five of the nine meetings played at the venue. Rajasthan, though, will draw confidence from their 27-run victory over MI earlier this season in Guwahati.
Squads
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, Mitchell Santner, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Atharva Ankolekar, AM Ghazanfar, Mayank Rawat, Raghu Sharma, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar and Robin Minz.
Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (c), Aman Rao, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Adam Milne, Sushant Mishra, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Kuldeep Sen, Yash Raj Punja, Yudhvir Singh.