IPL 2020 | MI vs RR: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream 11 Fantasy Picks
The match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians will see a contest between sides with a contrasting journey so far this season and with a different purpose. The royals will be desperate to get back to winning ways while Mumbai will be vouching for consistency in order to build up from their top position on the points table. Royals have struggled in their last two matches and have squandered the gains they had in their first two games, dismantling teams such as Kings XI Punjab and the Chennai Super Kings.
There is a lot to happen in the ongoing season but Steve Smith’s side will dowel that matches come thick and fast in IPL and that teams find it hard to break the chain once it starts sliding down the points table. Steve Smith himself needs to come good with the bat and lead the team in order to post a fighting total as Mumbai’s bowling line up is as lethal as it gets on the paper with Trent Boult, James Pattinson, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Rohit Sharma and the coach Mahela Jayawardena will be finding it easy as the wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock got back to his best in the last game against the Sunrisers and now the Mumbai’s batting line up looks settled on all fronts with Suyakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan taking the responsibility of keeping things in control in the middle overs while Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers have been assigned the role of closing out games-- a role they have been playing masterfully in the past many seasons.
On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah is yet to find his groove and come back to his accurate best but the Trans-Tasmanian pair of Trent Boult and James Pattinson have been just brilliant for the team and Rohit Sharma has barely missed his trump card in Bumrah and the team has been winning convincingly whenever a team has been posted able to post significant scores.
For Rajasthan Royals, the Aussie duo of Smith and Andrew McDonald need to reboot their batting gameplan. They have slotted their best batsmen at the top of the order in order to give them maximum exposure in order to seek dominance in the game. The idea of packing the best batsmen at the top is a good idea but it can leave a team such as the Royals with a fragile and not up to the mark lower middle order. It gives an extra incentive for the oppositions to go hard at the top order as they see an opening in the latter part of the innings.
The batsmen batting lower order such as Riyan Parag and Robin Uthappa have not been able to step up when the star-studded duo of Jos Buttler, Steve Smith, and Sanju Samson have failed to go big and that is a definite are of concern for the men in pink and Smith would be looking to fine-tune the batting line up before it becomes too late for him this season.
As the teams stack up against each other, it will be a battle between Rajasthan's top order against Mumbai’s new-ball bowlers, and whichever team steps up their game in that phase, will most likely end up winning the match.
Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals: Match details
Match number- 20
Date: October 6, 2020 at 7:30 PM IST, 02:00 PM GMT, 6:00 PM Local
Venue: Abu Dhabi
Pitch and weather
Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals will face off on a fresh pitch and the batsmen will enjoy the ball coming on to the abt nicely. It has been tough to chase down scores even with the onset of due and that will determine the decision of the captains after winning the toss. Mumbai’s new-ball bowlers who have been successful in the season so far will look forward to swinging the ball and if they find their lengths against the Royals’ top order, it will make a riveting contest for Tuesday night.
The weather in Abu Dhabi will continue to be ideal for playing T-20 cricket and the players will enjoy the time away from the sun after playing in the sun on the weekend that passed. Humidity will be on the lesser side and wind will also make players a bit more comfortable on the field.
Team News
Mumbai Indians
James Pattinson was called by the Mumbai Indians as a last-minute replacement but he has managed to cement his place in the playing Xi after an injury to Nathan Coulter-Nile allowed him a gate to sneak through. Now, the Mumbai side looks balanced with Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar hitting their ideal bowling form while the return of de Kock to his usual best has also made Mumbai a team to beat at this moment in the IPL 2020.
If not for any last-minute injury concerns, Mumbai Indians may well have found their best playing XI and will stick with it in the game against Rajasthan Royals barring any last-minute injury concerns.
Expected XI
Rohit Sharma(Captain), Quinton de Kock (Wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krual Pandya, Trent Boult, James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah
Rajasthan Royals
The arrival of Ben Stokes in the UAE will lift the mood in RR camp but his entry into the playing XI is still far away. Steve Smith might look at the bowling line up and Jaidev Unadkat may well be axed based on his performances in the last few games and a young Karthik Tyagi or an experienced Varun Aaron may well be tried in his place to bring potency in the bowling line up.
There is unlikely to be any change in the batting line up but Smith would hope for a better return from himself and the top order if the Royals have to have any chance to compete against Mumbai.
Expected XI
Steve Smith (Captain), Jos Buttler(wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson, Mahipal Lomror, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Karthik Tyagi/Varun Aaron
Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals: Dream 11 team and tips
Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Riyan Parag, Steve Smith, Hardik Pandya, James Pattinson, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Vice-captain: Steve Smith
 "Sayantan Bhattacharjee")
