8 matches of the TATA IPL 2022 have given us many memories already. From Russell’s heroics to the funny incident involving KL Rahul’s shoe, there is no shortage of entertainment this season.
The DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai is set to host the 9th game between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. While MI were beaten by the Delhi Capitals in their season starter, RR are coming after a huge win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Fun Facts about MI vs RR
- Sanju Samson will play his 200th IPL match.
- Ishan Kishan has hit 4 fifties in his last four IPL innings.
- Trent Boult will face his previous franchise in Mumbai Indians.
- M Ashwin will be up against Rajasthan Royals, his previous team.
MI’s Previous Match
Mumbai Indians have played only one match till now that was against the Delhi Capitals, which they lost by 4 wickets.
Asked to bat by DC, the blue army had a great start and didn’t lose a wicket till the 8th over. Rohit and Kishan added 67 for the opening partnership and looked in terrific touch. Things began to sink a bit once they lost their skipper, Rohit Sharma.
Since Mumbai was playing without Suryakumar Yadav, they promoted Anmolpreet Singh to number three. However, he couldn’t leave a mark and got dismissed cheaply. A small partnership between Tilak Varma and Kishan led MI to 117 odd runs in 14 overs.
Though they were scoring at a brisk rate, the wicket was good to bat on, and hence a big total was needed. But such plans were thwarted by Kuldeep Yadav and Khaleel Ahmed’s sublime bowling efforts.
After the departure of Tilak Varma, some firecrackers from Pollard were expected, but the West Indian all-rounder went back for a meager score of 3 runs. Kishan’s continuous efforts and some runs from Tim David and Daniel Sams took MI to 177-5 at the end of their innings.
Ishan Kishan remained unbeaten at 81 off 48 deliveries, hitting 11 fours and 2 sixes.
Seeking early wickets while defending a par score, Mumbai Indians were all over the Delhi Capitals, who were 3 down for 32 in 4 overs. The new addition to the MI squad, Murugan Ashwin, picked up 2 wickets in his first over.
By the end of the 15th over, Delhi were 122-6 and needed 56 off 30 balls. A bad day for the top MI bowlers like Bumrah and Tymal Mills resulted in a successful run chase for the Capitals. They won by 4 wickets with 10 balls to spare.
Bumrah and Daniel Sams gave away runs at an economy rate of 13 and 14 runs an over, respectively, allowing the DC batters to play without pressure.
What will worry MI more?
Mumbai Indians are known as the team that researches, plans, and implements things perfectly. They have done that over the years, and they need to do that now as well.
Though not much, MI will be worried about their poor bowling performance in the first match. They were almost near the victory ribbon when the DC lower-order snatched their celebrations thanks to their prime bowlers not delivering when needed.
Moreover, they need to have a sixth bowling option in either Pollard or Tim David. This will help them in the long run if one of their major bowlers has a bad day.
In the batting department, MI would want their middle order to get some runs. Since the dynamic Suryakumar Yadav is fit again, he will join the team to strengthen the batting lineup.
RR Previous Match?
Led by Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals had a great first game against SRH. They didn’t beat them but outplayed them in every aspect. After winning the toss, Kane Williamson asked Rajasthan to bat first, which turned out to be a nightmarish decision for SRH.
RR’s openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, took their team to 58 runs after six overs. However, both departed in the space of the next 12 balls. But that didn’t bother the RR skipper who walked in to bat and number three.
Sanju Samson smashed the ball to all corners of the ground, smashing 5 sixes and 3 fours in his 55 run innings. Devdutt Padikkal and Shemron Hetmyer played their part too, helping the team reach a mammoth total of 210 runs.
RR’s experienced bowling attack comprising bowlers like Trent Boult, Chahal, and R. Ashwin tore into SRH as they lost 3 wickets for 9 runs in the first five overs. Boult scalped two, and Chahal sent back three batsmen to squeeze the ambitions of Williamson’s team.
SRH were restricted to 149-7 as RR clinched the match by 61 runs.
What will worry RR more?
Their batting department looks good, and even the bowling unit seems lethal. However, RR will be worried about the performance of Nathan Coulter Nile. Though these are early days, they might want to try another bowler.
Where are they in the Points Table?
RR is placed at number 2, and MI is at number 9 in the points table.
Battles to look out for
- Boult vs Rohit
- Chahal vs Suryakumar
- Bumrah vs Buttler
Positives and Negatives for MI
The Positives for MI
- Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan are in top form. Both added 67 runs for the 1st wicket in the previous match.
- Coming from an injury, Suryakumar Yadav is fit to get a game against the mighty Rajasthan Royals. He will be a valuable addition to MI’s inexperienced middle order.
- In the first match, Murugan took 2 wickets and gave away 14 runs in 4 overs, a good sign for the team.
The negatives for MI
- Mumbai Indians have an inexperienced bowling attack when it comes to this edition of the IPL. Barring Bumrah, all MI pacers are new to the Indian T20 league.
- The mighty Kieron Pollard seems unable to land in a few overs. Rohit Sharma will be worried about a sixth bowling option.
- Despite having Bumrah and Tymal Mills, MI are far behind in building a pacer-friendly bowling lineup. They might want to tweak something if it doesn’t get better within 2-3 matches.
Positives and Negatives for RR
The Positives for RR
- From their openers to their middle order, RR is having everything in check. However, they will have to tread carefully and pace the innings against MI to deal with the mental pressure of facing a prominent opponent.
- RR has a brilliant bowling attack containing names like Trent Boult, R. Ashwin, and Y. Chahal. They just need to do the basics right, and results will follow.
The negatives for RR
Currently, there are no loose ends for RR, in my opinion.
MI vs RR Predicted Playing XI
Mumbai Indians Playing XI
- Rohit Sharma
- Ishan Kishan
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Pollard
- Tim David
- Fabian Allen
- Bumrah
- M. Ashwin
- Tymal Mills
- Basil Thampi
Rajasthan Royals Playing XI
- Buttler
- Y. Jaiswal
- Sanju Samson
- D. Padikkal
- S. Hetmyer
- Riyan Parag
- R. Ashwin
- Y. Chahal
- P. Krishna
- Trent Boult
- Navdeep Saini
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