IPL 2021, MI vs RR Match Preview

IPL 2021, MI vs RR: Preview, probable XI and Match Details

MI vs RR, IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians have lost their last two games and the defending champions will be hoping to get back on winning ways, when they face RR in Match 24, at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Image Credit- Mumbai Indians (Instagram)

PREVIEW

The two teams are on the same number of points, in the IPL 2021 season, with two wins from five games. However MI have a superior Net Run Rate. RR registered a morale-boosting win over KKR, while MI were defeated by the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

The two teams at the centre of the logjam in the middle of the points table, Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals will be facing each other in Match No 24 of IPL 2021. While the middle-order collapses on slow tracks in Chennai affected the defending champions, the Royals have been plagued by the players leaving one after the other which means there are only limited players to choose from for the men in pink.

While Rajasthan Royals are coming off a convincing victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Mumbai Indians have lost their last two games against the Delhi Capitals and the Punjab Kings.

Mumbai's middle-order, which boasts of hard-hitting batsmen like Suryakumar Yadav (154 runs), Ishan Kishan (73 runs), Hardik Pandya (36 runs), Krunal Pandya (29 runs) and Kieron Pollard (65 runs), hasn't fired for what they are known for, so far.

Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (9 wickets) and Krunal (3 wickets) have also been impressive and will again need to play their parts to perfection. Pollard is used as the fifth or the sixth bowler even as Hardik plays solely as a batsman. Mumbai, however, might play Adam Milne in place of Jayant Yadav.

In the absence of key foreign players - Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone and Andrew Tye, RR are yet to have a settled opening combination.

Jos Buttler would need to score big to compliment his skipper Sanju Samson, who is the team's leading run-scorer (187) despite being inconsistent. And the likes Shivam Dube, David Miller and Riyan Parag, would have to compliment the top-order by chipping in with much-needed contributions.

The three left-arm pacers along with Morris, however, need to be consistent. Leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia has got just one wicket from five games, while Shreyas Gopal, another leggie, has gone wicket-less in the two games he has played. Tewatia's role would be crucial if the Royals aim to contain the MI batting line-up.

However, they know how to bounce back and win games, and that's what they'll look to do in MI Vs RR Match, IPL 2021. That said, the Royals have a surprisingly good record against the Mumbai Indians, and they'll look to continue their run of resurgent performances.

PITCH REPORT

The wicket at the Arun Jaitley Stadium should be tacky and on the slower side, with the spinners likely to get some advantage. The cutters and slower deliveries should work well on this surface, and it won't be easy to score runs in the middle and death overs.

Head-to-Head (MI Vs RR)

Overall: Played – 25 | Mumbai Indians– 12 | Rajasthan Royals– 12 |N/R – 1

At neutral venues: Played – 10 | Mumbai Indians – 6 | Rajasthan Royals – 3 |N/R – 1

PROBABLE PLAYING XI, IPL 2021:

Mumbai Indians:

Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Rajasthan Royals:

Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Shivam Dube, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Chris Morris, Rahul Tewatia, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Match Details

Match – Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals (MI Vs RR) – 24th match

Venue – Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

Time – 3:30 PM IST, 10:00 AM GMT

IPL 2021: MI vs RR TV and Live Streaming Details

TV: Star Sports Network.

Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP.