Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 14 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. The Royals, captained by Sanju Samson, will attempt to continue their winning trend in this year’s IPL. RR started their IPL 2024 campaign with a 20-run win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). They later beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by 12 runs in their previous fixture.
RR sit third in the table after winning two consecutive matches.
On the other side, five-time champions MI have yet to open their account in this year’s IPL under new captain Hardik Pandya.
MI lost by six runs against Gujarat Titans (GT), followed by a 31-run loss against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their previous encounter.
Ahead of another enthralling IPL 2024 clash, we look at the predicted XIs of both sides.
RR Predicted XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Flamboyant opening batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal has managed only 29 runs in the two matches so far. Jaiswal will hope to get off to a fiery start against MI on Monday.
Jos Buttler
English batter, Jos Buttler is once again expected to open the proceedings for the Royals. Buttler, who has not performed according to his calibre till now, will try to improve his figures.
Sanju Samson (captain/wicketkeeper)
RR captain, Sanju Samson played a match-winning knock in their IPL 2024 opener. Batting at number three, Sanju scored an unbeaten 82 off just 52 balls to power RR to 193/4 in their 20 overs vs LSG. His knock was laced with three fours and six maximums. He will look to continue his scintillating form against MI.
Riyan Parag
Riyan Parag was another standout batter for the Royals against LSG. Parag stitched an impressive 93-run stand with skipper Samson for the third wicket. The dashing right-handed batter scored 43 off 29 balls, including one four and three sixes.
Shimron Hetmyer
West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer will retain his place in the Royals’ playing XI despite failing in their opening game. The 27-year-old amassed 300 runs in 14 matches last season at a strike rate of 152.28 while also holding an average of 37.50.
Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel impressed for the Royals against LSG in Jaipur. Batting at number six, Jurel smashed 20 runs off just 12 balls to propel RR to a strong total. He will aim to continue his good form against a star-studded MI bowling line-up.
Ravichandran Ashwin
India off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin had a slightly higher economy against Lucknow Super Giants, but he did take Marcus Stoinis’ wicket. He has been leaking runs this year, but his wicket-taking abilities at vital moments of the game cannot be ignored.
Sandeep Sharma
Experienced right-arm pacer, Sandeep Sharma bowled brilliantly in RR’s opening game. The Patiala-born cricketer picked up the massive wicket of LSG skipper KL Rahul. He will look to add to his tally against MI.
Avesh Khan
India’s Avesh Khan was economical for RR in their IPL 2024 opener. The 27-year-old right-arm fast bowler chipped in with some good overs. He will aim to pick some crucial wickets in their upcoming encounter.
Trent Boult
New Zealand’s star pacer, Trent Boult, has been RR’s bowling spearhead since 2022. The left-arm fast bowler once again provided early breakthroughs for the Royals as he dismissed LSG’s Quinton de Kock and Devdutt Padikkal in his opening two overs. He will try to improve his tally against the five-time champions to show his worth yet again.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal has bagged 188 IPL wickets in just 146 matches. The right-arm leg-spinner once again began the new season on a good note, as he picked up three wickets in the opening two matches.
Impact Sub
Nandre Burger/Rovman Powell
MI Predicted XI
Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians’ seasoned opener, Rohit Sharma is the second-highest runs scorer for MI this season with 69 runs and a hefty strike rate of 168.29. Sharma looks in great form this season and is likely to kick his batting up by a notch at home.
Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper)
MI’s another impactful player, Ishan Kishan will open the batting with Rohit. Ishan is coming into this match on the back of an entertaining performance in the last match. He scored a quickfire 34 runs off just 13 balls which included two boundaries and four sixes. One can expect him to produce a sensational knock against RR.
Naman Dhir
Batting at one down, the 31-year-old Naman Dhir has piled up 50 runs in two matches for MI. He hasn’t exactly got off to a dream start in IPL 2024, but he is expected to put on a show with his explosive batting skills.
Tilak Varma
Mumbai Indians’ top runs scorer, Tilak Varma is expected to leave the fans at Wankhede in awe with his electrifying batting. With 89 runs to his name in two matches, Tilak could wreak havoc against Rajasthan’s bowling lineup. He is coming into this game after a sublime 64-run knock against SRH.
Hardik Pandya (captain)
MI captain, Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in the playing XI against the Rajasthan Royals significantly boosts the team. Although the star all-rounder hasn’t got off to a powerful start, he does bring an explosive batting option and a crucial bowling element to add balance to the squad.
Tim David
Known for his aggressive stroke play and ability to score quickly, Tim David brings an exciting dimension to the middle order. He played an unbeaten knock of 42 runs in the last match against SRH. David could put on a show against RR at a high-scoring venue like Wankhede Stadium.
Romario Shepherd
The Guyanese all-rounder, Romario Shepherd has played only one game for Mumbai so far. But one can expect him to add crucial runs while batting down the order and provide MI with much-needed breakthroughs with his pace variations.
Gerald Coetzee
Gerald Coetzee’s inclusion against the Royals adds a talented fast bowler to MI’s arsenal. The South African speedster has bagged three wickets in two matches so far. Known for his pace and ability to generate bounce, Coetzee brings a new dimension to the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack.
Jasprit Bumrah
Mumbai’s leading wicket-taker, Jasprit Bumrah will be a key inclusion to the predicted playing XI against Rajasthan. Bumrah has taken three wickets in two matches at an economy of 6.25. His laser-guided yorkers could be a nightmare for RR’s batters as he would be rearing to improve his tally.
Piyush Chawla
Mumbai’s primary spin-bowling option, Piyush Chawla brings a wealth of experience to the line-up. Chawla’s inclusion could prove crucial in containing the opposition’s scoring rate at a high-scoring venue like Wankhede. He has picked up two wickets in as many matches.
Shams Mulani
MI’s second spin-bowling option, Shams Mulani will aim to add depth to the bowling line-up. He hasn’t opened his account with the ball yet for his franchise but his exploits in the domestic make him a potentially dangerous bowler.
Impact Sub
Akash Madhwal
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