The confident Mumbai Indians face the Rajasthan Royals in IPL match 20 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. RR have issues to resolve after two bad defeats.
Let's look at the teams.
The SWOT for MI
Strengths: MI’s pace attack with Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and James Pattinson has emerged as the best in the tournament. Other teams have had to rotate at least one of their pacers but MI has been consistent with them. The three have scalped 22 wickets.
Weaknesses: Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock haven’t clicked together yet. MI would be better placed if Rohit and de Kock get into the mode of stitching long partnerships together.
Opportunities: MI have the best NRR of all the teams and are at the front of the pack. With a win, they move a step closer to confirming a play-off spot.
Threats: MI should not get carried away. They should remember that RR have given them tough competition over the years. They should also be wary of getting tripped up due to complacency.
The SWOT for RR
Strengths: The presence of Jofra Archer. He is the RR strike weapon and among the best pacers in the IPL. Unsurprisingly, he is also the team's leading wicket-taker.
Weaknesses: Jos Buttler hasn’t found top gear yet. He has made scores of 4, 21 and 22 so far. He needs to find his best touch and quickly.
Opportunities: RR need to get back to winning ways. And beating the champs is the right way to send a strong message to the rest of the teams.
Threats: A couple of losses can push a team into a losing streak that will rob confidence and cripple play-off hopes.
Head to head:
Matches played: 23
Mumbai Indians: 11
Rajasthan Royals: 11
No result: 1
Last five matches (most recent first):
Mumbai Indians: W-W-L-W-L
Rajasthan Royals: L-L-W-W-L
Deccan Herald’s Dream XI
Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer, Trent Boult
Ground conditions
The temperature will be around 31 degrees celsius. The humidity should be around 74%. There will be a gentle breeze.
Team news
Star all-rounder Ben Stokes arrived in the UAE and that was great news for RR. He is now in quarantine and will not be available for this match. No other injuries reported.
Impact player for MI
Trent Boult: He has stepped into the shoes of Lasith Malinga wonderfully. He is MI's leading wicket-taker with eight wickets at a strike rate of 14.50 and an average of 19.62. Against a batting lineup that can be shaky, Boult should be able to make some inroads.
Impact player for RR
Steve Smith: As RR's best batsman, he has to shoulder the responsibility of being the match-winner. Losses have thrown them off course and they need to turn things around. RR will bank on Smith's experience as a batter and captain to lead the way.
Betting odds (bet365)
Mumbai Indians: 33/50
Rajasthan Royals: 6/5
How to watch
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 7.30 PM IST.
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