Mumbai meets Rajasthan in key tie
The Mumbai Indians stars will make a last-ditch effort to put the team’s derailed Indian Premier League 2021 campaign back on track when they take on a confident Rajasthan Royals here on Tuesday.
The poor show by the batters has let fivetime champion Mumbai down and put it in an unfamiliar territory. MI is languishing at the seventh spot on the table with 10 points from 12 matches. The Rohit Sharma-led side will have its work cut out against Rajasthan, which comes into the clash following a stunning win over Chennai Super Kings.
RR, led by Sanju Samson, too has 10 points from 12 games but stands just ahead of MI in the standings. The equation is simple for both teams. They not only have to emerge victorious in their next two matches but also have to win big due to their poor net run-rate.
Hence, the Mumbai batting unit, spearheaded by Rohit, will need to bring its ‘A’ game to the fore. Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard will be keen to make a positive impact. It remains to be seen if the out-of-form Ishan Kishan is recalled into the playing eleven.
Hardik Pandya, who found some form in the win against Punjab Kings, would hope to use his big blade to full effect. The bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, would be eager to deliver a stellar show on favourable conditions. Leg-spinner Rahul Chahal could replace Jayant Yadav and operate alongside leftarm orthodox bowler Krunal Pandya.
Rajasthan would be high on confidence following its victory over Chennai, where it chased the target of 190 with ease. Last match’s heroes Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube as well as skipper Samson and opener Evin Lewis will hold the key in the batting department. Left-arm pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Chetan Sakariya will have important roles to play.