MI strive for consistency

Bolstered by a 20-run win at home over Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians will be keen to build further after a much needed five-day break, against a jaded Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.

The visitors have been playing almost non-stop and it will be their 10th game on Friday as against the eighth for the home side. The former champions had lost just one game at Wankhede Stadium in the last two seasons but in the current season they have already lost first two home games and five overall in this edition of the IPL. Rohit Sharma and Co. will be keen to make this venue their fortress again.

After winning five games on the trot, the Royals have lost two games and their last two games were washed out. Their campaign is somewhat like their previous season where they started with a flourish, stuttered in the middle before losing the race to Mumbai.

The hosts chased down 190 in 14.4 overs here the last time round in the final league game against the Royals to qualify for the Eliminator. Corey Anderson struck an unbeaten 95 in 44 balls to lead the chase but the Kiwi all-rounder has been already ruled out for the season after playing four games.

New Zealand’s left arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan (six wickets in three matches) has replaced Anderson in the XI and he has been among the wickets. He has proved an ideal foil to the improving Lasith Malinga (10 wickets). The duo rattled SRH in the last game by scalping seven batsmen between them and restricting the visitors to 137/8 while chasing 158.

Harbhajan Singh (eight wickets in six games) has been brilliant barring a couple of games. He has also been handy with the bat. Left arm slow bowler Jagadeesha Suchith bowled well in the last game and Vinay Kumar also did reasonably well in his comeback game. Kieron Pollard remains the key in the middle-order with skipper Rohit Sharma. Both have blossomed but also gone silent occasionally.