IPL 2023 MATCH PREVIEW: MI v RR

The impending clash between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium shall be a momentous occasion as it will mark the 1000th match in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The encounter between the most successful team in the league and the inaugural champions adds to the grandeur of this landmark event, which is unprecedented in the history of T20 tournaments. To commemorate this historic milestone, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has organized a special celebration.

Head to Head

MI - 14, RR - 12

Last 5 matches

MI - 3, RR - 2

At Wankhede

MI - 4, RR - 3

Last 5 matches at Wankhede

MI - L W L W L
RR - L W W L W

As Mumbai Indians gear up to take on Rajasthan Royals on a crucial day, they are hoping to revive their struggling campaign. The occasion is also special as it marks the birthday of their skipper, Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai-based franchise is currently languishing in the 9th position in the points table, having managed only 3 wins and suffering 4 losses in the 7 matches played so far.

Despite boasting of a formidable batting line-up on paper, featuring the likes of Rohit, Ishan, Surya, Tim David and Cameron Green, Mumbai Indians have failed to put together a complete performance halfway through the league. With time running out, the team is in dire need of a collective effort from all players.

One of the major areas of concern for Mumbai Indians has been their bowling, especially during the death overs. Their economy rate during the death overs has been the worst in the tournament, with the likes of Jason Behrendorff, Riley Meredith struggling to contain the opposition and Jofra Archer yet to find his rhythm. However, Piyush Chawla has been a silver lining in the bowling department and has emerged as the leading wicket-taker for the team.

In their last two matches, Mumbai Indians have conceded 200+ scores, a first in their history. This highlights the struggles of their entire bowling unit. To make matters worse, Mumbai Indians have not been able to defeat Rajasthan Royals at their home ground since 2015, adding to the challenge facing Rohit Sharma's team on this crucial occasion.

Probable XI:

Rohit, Ishan, Green, Surya, Tilak, Tim David, Arjun, Hrithik/Karthikeya, Chawla, Jofra, Behrendorff/Meredith

On the other hand, the team led by Sanju Samson has been off to a blazing start and currently occupies the 2nd position in the points table with 5 wins in 8 matches. They have emerged as a complete side, excelling in both batting and bowling departments. The top order is packed with firepower in the form of Buttler, Jaiswal, and Samson, followed by Padikkal, Hetmyer in the middle order. Dhruv Jurel, a discovery for the Royals this season, has been consistent with the bat in all matches.

Their bowling attack boasts of the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, who have picked up a combined 23 wickets and emerged as the team's biggest strength. At the death, Sandeep Sharma has been the go-to bowler for the side, and the return of Trent Boult in the upcoming encounter makes their bowling department look even more formidable.

Furthermore, there are some batters who tend to perform exceptionally well against particular opponents, such as Kohli against Pakistan. Jos Buttler is one such player, having joined Rajasthan Royals in 2018 from Mumbai Indians. He possesses an impressive record against his former franchise, having scored 5 fifty-plus scores in his last 6 innings against them. Once he settles in, he is bound to pose a serious challenge for the opposition team, making it a significant headache for them to stop him.

Probable XI :

Jaiswal, Buttler, Samson, Padikkal, Hetmyer, D Jurel, Ashwin, Holder, Chahal, Sandeep, Boult

Rohit v Boult - 67 runs, 4 outs (140 SR)
Ishan v Boult - 32 runs, 3 outs (86 SR)
Rohit v Chahal - 39 runs, 1 out (103 SR)
Ishan v Chahal - 50 runs, 3 outs (172 SR)
Surya v Chahal - 76 runs, 3 outs (121 SR)
Tilak v Chahal - 33 runs, 0 out (174 SR)
T David v Chahal - 14 runs, 2 outs (108 SR)
Rohit v Ashwin - 110 runs, 3 outs (92 SR)
Ishan v Ashwin - 53 runs, 0 out (93 SR)
Surya v Ashwin - 106 runs, 0 out (143 SR)
Rohit v Holder - 49 runs, 2 outs (169 SR)
Surya v Holder - 50 runs, 1 out (167 SR)
T David v Holder - 26 runs, 2 outs (186 SR)

Butter v Archer - 80 runs, 2 outs (200 SR)
Padikkal v Archer - 15 runs, 1 out (100 SR)
Samson v Chawla - 56 runs, 2 outs (156 SR)
Hetmyer v Meredith - 18 runs, 0 out (225 SR)
Buttler v Meredith - 43 runs, 0 out (154 SR)
Samson v Meredith - 30 runs, 0 out (231 SR)
Buttler v Chawla - 38 runs, 0 out (123 SR)

During MI vs RR matches

Most runs

467 - Jos Buttler
462 - Sanju Samson
359 - Suryakumar
348 - Kieron Pollard
328 - Rohit Sharma

Most 6s

29 - Jos Buttler
20 - Kieron Pollard
18 - Sanju Samson
16 - Rohit Sharma

Highest Score

107* - Ben Stokes
100 - Yusuf Pathan
100 - Jos Buttler
95* - Corey Anderson
94* - Jos Buttler

Most Wickets

17 - Jasprit Bumrah
12 - Jofra Archer
12 - Kieron Pollard

Best Bowling fig

4/14 - Sohail Tanvir
4/14 - Nathan Coulternile
4/20 - Jasprit Bumrah
4/28 - Munaf patel

Most M.O.M Awards

3 - Jos Buttler
2 - Suryakumar
2 - Steve Smith

Key Players :

Jos Buttler : When it's against Mumbai and Rajasthan, He will be the first Choice to make in your fantasy XI. In Last 6 Innings he averages 92.20 with 157.88 SR against Mumbai also won 3 Player of the match Awards.

Suryakumar Yadav : After failing in Initial matches, Surya got his old rhythm back. Last time when both teams faced off, Surya was the Hero. He Scored 51 runs and won Player of the match award.

Cameron Green: With the bat Green has looked in decent form in the IPL. He averages 91.00 in Last 5 Innings with the SR of 154.24

Trent Boult : His spell will be crucial as he takes the new ball against the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. He has picked 7 wickets in powerplay so far with the Eco.rate of 6.07

Y Jaiswal : He was the standout performer for RR in their last win against CSK. The left-handed opener hammered 77 runs off just 43 balls. He Averages 62.00 and strikes at 163.16 in Powerplay so far.

Fantasy XI