Four points from five games is something you’d generally expect from Rajasthan, but with 35% of the season already done and dusted, the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, still find themselves struggling to get out of second gear. In the context of the season, the clash tomorrow is huge, as a defeat for Rajasthan will make it incredibly difficult for them to make it to the playoffs with only four foreign players available, a loss for Mumbai would raise serious self-doubts within the defending champions’ camp. Mumbai, you would expect, would be better equipped having played five games in Chennai, but the first half of IPL 2021 has not gone according to the script for the Blues thus far. 

Losing the first game of the season is known to be an auspicious sign for Mumbai, but in IPL 2021, things have not gone according to the plan for the Blues. Both their wins - vs SRH and KKR - were enabled by bad batting from the opposition, and they were comprehensively beaten in their last two encounters by Delhi and Punjab. The form of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav are the only positives, with every other area, most notably the hideous form of the middle-order, being a huge area of concern. Thursday will see Mumbai play at a venue other than Chennai for the first time this season, so the defending champions would be hoping for a fresh start.

Rajasthan Royals have had rotten luck this season. Prior to the tournament, they lost Archer, then in the very first game of the season, they lost Ben Stokes. Liam Livingstone and Andrew Tye then pulled out, so heading into Thursday’s clash, four foreigners are all they will be having at their disposal. Amidst all this off-field drama, though, the Samson-led side have done their best to stay relevant on the field. There are plenty of holes yet to be fixed, but 2 wins from 5 games is not bad for a side that is severely depleted. Samson’s own form, the resurgence of Shivam Dube and the rise of young Chetan Sakariya have all served as a ray of hope for a side that is, on paper, comfortably the weakest. Having played 5 games on flat wickets, adjusting to the slow and low Delhi track might prove challenging for the Royals.

Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals - Head to Head

MI - 11 

RR - 11

Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals - Last Meeting

Interestingly, Rajasthan beat Mumbai in the two sides’ last H2H clash and they did so in domineering fashion. Thanks to cameos from Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav Mumbai posted 195, but RR chased the target down with 10 balls to spare. A century from Ben Stokes and an unbeaten fifty from Samson saw the Royals blow MI away in Abu Dhabi. There will be no Stokes for RR on Thursday, but they will be hoping for a similar performance from their top order.

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

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

Wicket-keepers - Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler

All-rounders - Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia

Bowlers - Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Chetan Sakariya

Vice-captain - Sanju Samson

Match Info

Date -  Thursday, April 29, 2021

Time -  3.30 PM IST

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