The 38th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 sees Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur tonight at 7:30 PM IST.
This will be the Royals’ final home match before they shift their base to Guwahati.
The team based in Jaipur sits atop the points table, having triumphed in six out of seven encounters. The Men in Pink will be keen to maintain their winning run in front of their home crowd.Â
In their last encounter against the team based in Mumbai, Rajasthan’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Trent Boult, Nandre Burger, and Yuzvendra Chahal, dismantled the Mumbai batting line-up.
However, the five-time IPL champions have shown a resurgence in recent weeks, winning three out of their last four matches, and will be looking to extend their winning streak.
Jos Buttler, with 250 runs and two centuries, has rediscovered his touch at the top order for Rajasthan. Sanju Samson (276 runs) and Riyan Parag (318 runs) have also made significant contributions. However, the Royals will hope for a more consistent showing from the rest of their batting line-up, particularly Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, who haven’t quite fired yet.
Chahal, with 12 wickets, has been the standout performer with the ball for Rajasthan, ably supported by Ravichandran Ashwin. Boult and Nandre have been destructive during the powerplay overs.
Rohit Sharma (297 runs) and Ishan Kishan (192 runs) have provided strong opening partnerships, with talented youngster Tilak Varma (208 runs) offering valuable support. The much-anticipated return of Suryakumar Yadav has bolstered the middle order, with Mr. 360 scoring 130 runs in his four innings. Tim David has displayed his range-hitting prowess while Hardik Pandya‘s slum in form with the bat continues.Â
Jasprit Bumrah (13 wickets) and Gerald Coetzee (12 wickets) have spearheaded the bowling attack for Mumbai. However, their middle-over bowling remains a concern. Akash Madhwal, Pandya, Shreyas Gopal, and Romario Shepherd have all conceded runs at an economy rate exceeding 10 per over.
Head-to-head:
Historically, the rivalry between Mumbai and Rajasthan has been closely contested. In their 29 IPL encounters, MI have emerged victorious on 15 occasions, while RR have triumphed on 13 occasions. One match ended without a result.Â
Notably, the Royals have dominated at home, winning five out of their seven encounters against Mumbai in Jaipur. Mumbai’s last win at this venue came back in May 2012.
The table toppers will look to maintain their position at the top, while the Men in Blue will be determined to climb up the points table.
Where-to-watch:
OTT: JioCinema