IPL 2024, Match 38: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians Match Preview

League leaders Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on a resurgent Mumbai Indians (MI) side in match 38 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday, April 22.

Sanju Samson-led Royals have been on a dream run so far in IPL 2024. They have won six out of their seven games and are comfortably sitting at the pole position on the points table. After winning four games in a row, they suffered a last-ball defeat versus Gujarat Titans. However, since then, the former champions have won two games on the trot. Rajasthan are coming off a thrilling two-wicket win off the last ball versus Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians started their campaign with three consecutive losses, and their new captain Hardik Pandya drew a lot of flak for his decisions. However, the five-time champions have revived the campaign with three wins out of their last four games. Mumbai won their last encounter against Punjab by nine runs in Chandigarh.

Riyan Parag has been the most consistent batter for Rajasthan, having scored 318 runs in seven innings at an average of 63.60 and a strike rate of 161.42. He is third on the list of leading run-getters. Skipper Samson has also played well and has aggregated 276 runs in seven innings at an average of 55.20 and a strike rate of 155.06. Jos Buttler has also returned to form after going through a lean patch at the start of the tournament. He scored an unbeaten century against the Knight Riders in the last game and helped his team chase down a 224-run target, equalling the highest run chase in IPL history. He would be high on confidence and want to continue from where he left in Kolkata.

The bowling department has been led by Yuzvendra Chahal. The veteran leg-spinner has bagged 12 wickets from seven games at 18.08. The likes of Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen, and Avesh Khan have provided good support. Ravichandran Ashwin's form, however, would be a concern as the legendary off-spinner has only accounted for a solitary wicket in six games and conceded runs at an economy rate of 9.09.

Former MI captain Rohit Sharma has been in brilliant form in IPL 2024. In seven games, he has scored 297 runs at an average of 49.50 and a strike rate of 164.09. He has given some brisk starts to the MI innings in most of the matches. His opening partner Ishan Kishan has looked good in some games but hasn't been able to convert his starts. Suryakumar Yadav missed the first three games as he was recuperating from an injury but his return has given Mumbai a new lease of life. The T20 legend has scored a couple of fifties in four matches and is striking at 171.05. Tim David has also played some excellent knocks at the backend and has given the Mumbai fans a lot of assurance.

Jasprit Bumrah has been the go-to bowler for Hardik. The ace speedster has bagged 13 wickets from seven games and is leading the list of the highest wicket-takers in IPL 2024. He is averaging just 12.85 and has a miserly economy rate of 5.96. Bumrah has found a great ally in Gerald Coetzee. The young South African pacer has impressed one and all with his pace and bounce and bagged 12 wickets at 21.92. Hardik's form has been a concern as he has failed to do complete justice to his potential with bat and ball. If he starts firing, Mumbai will be a tough side to beat.

Also Check: IPL 2024 Schedule

Sawai Mansingh Stadium Pitch Report and Conditions

Four games have been played so far in Jaipur in IPL 2024. The first two games were won by teams batting first, while the next two were won by chasing teams. The average first-innings score has been 189. Sawai Mansingh Stadium has produced fine surfaces, which have remained consistent throughout the 40 overs. In three out of the four games, captain who won the toss, opted to bowl first. A similar trend could be seen on Monday.

Check Here: RR vs MI Live Score, Match 38

RR vs MI Probable Playing XI

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Rajasthan are going to find it difficult to fit Nandre Burger back into the playing XI. The Proteas pacer was impressive in the first few games but he was replaced by Rovman Powell after suffering a leg injury. Since then, the West Indies T20 captain has played some useful cameos down the order. If Burger is fit, it would be interesting to see whether he gets straight back into the playing XI in place of the in-form Powell.

Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Player: Sandeep Sharma

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Mumbai do not like to tinker too much with their playing XI during the second phase of a season. The visitors could stick to the same playing XI that faced Punjab in the last game. However, Akash Madhwal's performance will be keenly watched as he has conceded runs at 11.28 this season. Arjun Tendulkar made his IPL debut last year and if Madhwal continues to disappoint, there could be a case for the young left-arm pacer's inclusion.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah

Impact Player: Akash Madhwal

Also Check: IPL 2024 Points Table

RR vs MI Head-to-Head Record