The defending champions Mumbai Indians will lock horns with the Rajasthan Royals in the 20th match of the Indian Premier League 2020 which is set to take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Sharjah. Both the teams come into the match with contrasting backgrounds as Mumbai Indians have been in great shape in the last few matches. While, the RR after the splendid show in the first two matches have struggled in their last two matches.
Mumbai Indians will be feeling the positive vibes as they come on back of a clinical win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The four times champions as always has been playing as a team and after the first loss against CSK, the team seems to have regrouped well and now seem well synchronized. With their opener Quinton de Kock showing glimpses of his prime form in the last match, the team looks well placed in the run for the title.
Rajasthan Royals on the other side have got things completely wrong in their last two matches. The team was left clueless after the match against RCB as Virat Kohli and Co. went to win the match by 8 wickets. The middle order seems to be really wobbly for the team and they would likely be looking over certain players.
The Royals are heavily dependent on their two key players- Sanju Samson and Steven Smith. Can the Mighty Mumbai Indians grab the top spot in the points table? Or the depleted Royals show resistance?
Head to Head
Matches Played- 22, MI- 11. RR- 11, N/R- 0
Team News
Mumbai Indians have not reported any injuries and are likely to feature the same playing Xl that handed them a convincing victory against the SRH.
Rajasthan Royals will be happy with the arrival of the star English all-rounder Ben Stokes. But, with the new safety protocols in function, the 29- year old will have to undergo a 6 day quarantine period and will be available to play for Royals then.
Pitch and Conditions
The pitch in Abu Dhabi has been batsmen friendly and has not had much for the bowlers. Though the spinners could have some say as the pitch tends to hold up at times. As the match is scheduled to take place in the evening the due is expected to play a role.
The conditions are once again ideal for cricket with clear skies expected throughout the match. The temperature and humidity will once again take a toil on the players as it is reported to be on the higher side again.
Probable Playing Xl
Mumbai Indians (MI): Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, James Pattinson, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah
Rajasthan Royals (RR): Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Smith (c), Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mahipal Lomror, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Tom Curran, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat
Key Battles
Steven Smith (RR) vs Trent Boult (MI)
The RR captain was dismissed cheaply in his last two innings and to everyone's surprise he was seen playing uncharacteristic innings in both the matches. Said that the Australian was in a good touch in the first two matches and given his potential and status of being one of the best batsman in the world. It would be interesting to see how he approaches this all important clash against Mumbai Indians.
The Kiwis frontline pacer Trent Boult is having a wonderful season and was rightfully awarded the Man of the match for his splendid performance against the SRH. The 31- year old is someone who can trouble the opposition at will and in this encounter he will be eyeing the most important wicket of Steven Smith.
It is always exciting to see the battle between the kiwis and Aussies. Who will win the battle this time around?
Quinton de Kock (MI) vs Jofra Archer (RR)
The proteas captain seems to be back in the groove as he was seen playing some amazing shots against the Sunrisers on his road to 67 of just 39 balls, which helped MI put up a total of 208. After a mediocre start to the season, the wicket-keeper batsman looks to have found his rhythm and as we know he is one of the most destructive openers in the world.
Rajasthan Royals would not want to keep him around for too long and their best go would be the sensational English all-rounder Jofra Archer. Jofra Archer has been dominating the key battles section of Cricwizz and has never failed to prove his worth. Once again the pacer has a mission in his hands. Will it be successful this time too?
Can proteas captain continue from the left off? Or will the young English sensation spoil the MI party?
Prediction
Mumbai Indians showcased a dominant performance against the 2016 title winners SRH. The team looks very strong on the paper and with all of their players making valuable contributions, it could take something special to get past the defending champions.
Rajasthan Royals once again will miss Ben Stokes and will be hoping he can still get over the line like they did in the first two matches. Lot will lay on the shoulders of Sanju Samson and Steven Smith.
The match is almost a must win game for the RR as they would not want to lose three matches in a row. For that reason they are sure to give their all. Given the quality of the Mumbai Indians side and the form of all the players. It will require something extraordinary from the bats of the RR pillars.
Cricwizz predicts Mumbai Indians to win the match
