IPL 2017: Mumbai Indians v Rising Pune Supergiant, Final– Match Result Predictions

So after 45 days of intense action, we are all set for the eagerly awaited IPL final which is going to be the 4th Maharashtra derby of the season. Mumbai Indians who have arguably been the best team in the tournament so far is on the verge of becoming the first team to win the title thrice but Pune has been the team who have got the better of him on all 3 occasions previously. Despite the odds favouring Pune, the final will be an all new ball game and Mumbai will come all guns blazing.

Mumbai is not as bad a team to lose four consecutive matches to Pune. On the other hand, Pune will like to feel happy about this fact that they have beaten the two-time champions thrice in the competition. In the Qualifier 1, it was an MS Dhoni cameo which ensured Pune reached a competitive total and from there on it was the 17-year-old Washington Sundar who wrecked havoc and handed RPS a comprehensive 20 runs victory.

The batting line-up looks settled for Mumbai and despite their lacklustre showing the other day they will look to put those behind them and come out all guns blazing. Yesterday it was a magnificent innings from the blade of Krunal Pandya which helped MI chase the total set by KKR quite comfortably in the end. The bowling department was jolted with the absence of Mitchell McCleneghan but Mitchell Johnson did a fairly reasonable job and will retain his place if McCleneghan is unfit.

RPS have performed exceptionally in the last few matches and their record against Mumbai will definitely excite them. Ajinkya Rahanes’ return to form will be heartening signs for RPS but Steve Smith will look to get back to his old touch and get some runs behind him. Dhoni hasn’t been at his best but such has been the impact of this man he still keeps scoring runs. He smashed 5 gigantic sixes the last day and will look to replicate more of the same tomorrow.

Washington Sundar has been a wise option by Smith especially in the powerplays and the teenager hasn’t disappointed his captain. Jaydev Unadkat is 4 wickets away from winning the purple cap while Imran Tahir’s replacement Adam Zampa has bowled pretty well. Lockie Ferguson who came in place of Ben Stokes went for a few runs but is expected to retain his place. So with more than 24 hours to go for the match to commence let us have a look at the match prediction

Here is what Crictracker predicts for the game:        

Scenario 1: MI will win the toss

Toss Prediction: MI choose to bowl

First innings prediction: 145-150

2nd innings Prediction: MI will win by 4 wickets (with an over to spare)

Scenario 2: RPS win the toss

Toss Prediction: RPS choose to bowl

First innings Prediction: 160-170

2nd innings Prediction:  RPS will win by 5 wickets (with 3 balls to spare)

Head to Head Record

Overall: Total Matches –5 MI Won – 1, RPS Won – 4

The head to head record is heavily in favour of Rising Pune Supergiant but Mumbai is a not as bad a team to lose 4 times on a trot to a single team. Law of averages is bound to catch up and Mumbai will eventually win against RPS but whether it’s tomorrow or not it remains to be seen.

Team Combinations

Mumbai Indians

The MI outfit looks settled but Ambati Rayudu’s form will be a concern and they might be tempted to play Nitish Rana who looked ominous during the earlier part of the tournament. The top order has failed in the last couple of matches but as the final approaches, we might see a different approach from them. The match will be played in Hyderabad which is not a traditionally high-scoring venue so the bowlers will play a pivotal role.

Predicted XI: Parthiv Patel, Lendl Simmons, Rohit Sharma (c), Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Karn Sharma, Mitchell Johnson, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

Rising Pune Supergiant

The RPS outfit is unlikely to tinker with their winning combination and is likely to stick with their playing XI which defeated Mumbai in Qualifier 1

Predicted XI: Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Steve Smith (c), Manoj Tiwary, MS Dhoni, Dan Christian, Washington Sundar, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Zampa, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat

It will be a mouth-watering contest on our hands and it will be an even contest with a 50-50% chance for both the teams. The team batting 2nd might just end up winning the title.

Do let us know your predictions in the comments section below.

Note: This is purely a random call taken by the author.