IPL 2024, MI vs RR Preview: Struggling Mumbai Indians eye happy homecoming against Rajasthan Royals
Despite the change in leadership, with Pandya taking over from the five-time title-winning skipper Rohit Sharma—a transition that has faced harsh criticism—Mumbai Indians have once again stumbled at the start of their IPL campaign, losing their first two matches.
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FollowThe Mumbai Indians, perennial slow-starters in the IPL 2024, find themselves under the leadership of a new captain, Hardik Pandya. They are hopeful for a triumphant return as they face the confident Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
Despite the change in leadership, with Pandya taking over from the five-time title-winning skipper Rohit Sharma—a transition that has faced harsh criticism—Mumbai Indians have once again stumbled at the start of their IPL campaign, losing their first two matches.
Their defeat to Pandya’s former team, the Gujarat Titans, by six runs was followed by a significant loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who clinched a record run-fest victory by 32 runs in Hyderabad. This unfortunate start has left the Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom of the 10-team points table.
While it's still early days in the 17th edition of the T20 league, Pandya's Mumbai Indians are under pressure to break their losing streak and enhance their Net Run Rate, currently the worst among all teams at -0.925.
Adding to their challenges is the absence of Suryakumar Yadav, who remains sidelined due to two separate injuries, keeping him away from the MI camp this IPL season.
Despite holding a 4-1 head-to-head record in their last five meetings with the Rajasthan Royals, the home side faces a daunting task against Sanju Samson’s team, which has started the IPL season with two impressive wins.
While a substantial contribution from Rohit Sharma is expected, Pandya's strategic decisions will be crucial. There have been apparent shortcomings in utilizing key players like Jasprit Bumrah effectively, and Mumbai Indians will be looking to rectify such issues.
In the Mumbai Indians' bowling lineup, the seasoned duo of Bumrah and Piyush Chawla bring a wealth of experience. They've also shown faith in local talent Shams Mulani, despite his relative newness to the IPL stage, his familiarity with the Wankhede Stadium could prove advantageous.
Facing the onslaught from Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous match, young Kwena Maphaka bore the brunt. At just 17 years old, the South African bowler is bound to learn valuable lessons from such challenging experiences in the fiercely competitive T20 league.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals are riding high on confidence with two consecutive wins. Sanju Samson remains a formidable force in the early stages of the IPL, while the immensely talented Yashasvi Jaiswal, yet to make a significant impact in this IPL season, will be eager to make his mark.
Jaiswal, returning to his home ground where he previously showcased a scintillating 62-ball 124, albeit in a losing effort, will be motivated to display his undeniable talent once again.
Riyan Parag is set to continue his progression as a reliable middle-order batsman for the Rajasthan Royals, while Mumbai Indians will pin their hopes on Tilak Varma, Tim David, and Naman Dhir to build on their promising starts.
With a deep batting lineup featuring the explosive Jos Buttler at the top and Dhruv Jurel providing late-order fireworks, Rajasthan Royals boast considerable firepower.
Their bowling attack is equally formidable, with Nandre Burger forming a potent opening combination with Trent Boult. The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal adds control and guile in the middle overs.
Avesh Khan's adeptness in the death overs, combined with Sandeep Sharma's experience, is a strength for the Royals and has played a pivotal role in their impressive performances thus far in the tournament.
The Squads:
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood, Suryakumar Yadav.
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Jos Buttler (wk), Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.
Match starts: 7:30pm IST.
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