Strongest Mumbai Indians (MI) Predicted Playing XI against Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Mumbai Indians (MI) have not looked to be the champion team they are known to be in the IPL this season. They won a couple of encounters purely due to the death-over brilliance of two premium pacers operating together in the middle, but they come to Delhi, the second leg of the season, with more losses than wins in the Chennai phase.

Those sluggish and deceptive tracks are gone, where almost the entire batting order of MI failed to make things work. But their new venue, the Feroz Shah Kotla, will not offer things that Wankhede, Chinnaswamy, or Eden Gardens do. Mumbai has struggled in the powerplays with their opening partnerships not laying any solid platform. Their middle-order has a struggling Ishan Kishan and an off-color trio of all-rounders. That has made them struggled in the death overs too.

Simply put, they have nearly struggled in every phase of the game with the bat, and are yet to score a 160-plus score. All of this is evident from the record in the Chennai leg: 3 losses and 2 wins. While they would hope the venue change will change their fortunes, there are not too many slipups that the five-time champs can afford now. Can they get back to winning ways against the Rajasthan Royals, their first opponents at the new venue? What would be an ideal XI for that?

Here’s the Predicted Playing XI of Mumbai Indians (MI) for IPL 2021 Match 24:

Openers – Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock

Rohit Sharma’s 63 against Punjab Kings was only the second 50-plus score by any Mumbai Indians batsmen this year. A knock that included five fours and two sixes came in 52 balls as he played anchor alongside a crumbling order of batters. Rohit is yet to fire in his trademark style and one of the reasons, apart from the tough tracks in Chennai, he has not been able to do that, is the lack of support from others around him, including his partner Quinton de Kock.

De Kock walked inside the team as soon he served his quarantine period. He was preferred over Chris Lynn, who had scored a 36-ball 49 in the tournament opener against RCB. Although, ever since then, all that de Kock has managed is three single-digit scores and one 40-run knock against SRH, where he had to slow down after a brisk start owing to a collapse at the other end. With Lynn waiting in the wings, the responsibility on the South African to perform doubles up.

Middle-order – Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan

Perhaps, the only batter who has been able to create an impression of getting to terms with the challenging conditions from the team has been Suryakumar Yadav. His 56-run knock against RCB was the first fifty for an MI player this season, but since then, he has been guilty of throwing away his starts. He has looked in the groove each time, only to perish after giving some hopes to his camp. Yadav would want to change that in Delhi desperately.

On the other hand, Ishan Kishan’s struggle has made a supremely talented and free-flowing player like him look ugly. He failed to get a move on even once in the entire first leg of the league, ending with scores of 28, 1, 12, 26, and 6. More surprisingly, even these runs have come at a painful strike rate and pace.

All-rounders – Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya

Hardik Pandya has not been used as a bowler until now and his injury has left little chances for that to happen this year. With the bat, both he and his elder brother Krunal have had the most forgettable year thus far. Hardik has not managed to enter into double-digits thrice in a row, while even the previous two outings reaped him 13 and 15 runs respectively.

Krunal Pandya, on the other hand, has only a single score in the double-digits, while the remaining four outings have been 7, 3*, 1, and 3. The double-digit score being 15 against KKR. With the ball too, he took a wicket in each of the first three games but has been wicket-less twice in a row ever since. Kieron Pollard, meanwhile, has scores of 7, 5, 2, and 16*. The only time he looked in the groove was during his unbeaten 35-run knock versus SRH. With the ball, he has only a solitary scalp.

With such numbers, it is no surprise that Mumbai has struggled with the bat in the death overs.

Bowlers – Jayant Yadav, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

MI brought in off-spinner Jayant Yadav in place of New Zealand speedster Adam Milne in the team, and while he had a reasonable outing against Delhi Capitals (1/25), against Punjab Kings he went wicket-less (0/20).

Trent Boult has picked 6 wickets in five games thus far, although his last two outings have not added even a single wicket to his tally. His pace partner Jasprit Bumrah has not looked as lethal either in terms of picking wickets and returned wicket-less against Punjab Kings. Bumrah and Boult, who picked 52 wickets amongst them in 2020, have picked only 10 so far, the former getting 4. Although their economy rates have continued to impress: 6.36 and 7.85 respectively.

Rahul Chahar has been the team’s most prized possession this year, picking 9 wickets at 15.22 and an economy rate of 6.85. He will enjoy his time on the conducive tracks of Delhi.