IPL 2018, MI vs RR: Rajasthan Royals' predicted XI for their game against MI
Rajasthan Royals are very much alive in the playoffs race after winning two matches in a row and both their wins came against strong opposition. RR defeated Kings XI Punjab at Jaipur on Tuesday before clinching a thriller against Chennai Super Kings at the same venue on Friday.
The Royals are currently 6th in the table with 5 wins and 6 defeats. Tonight, RR will take on Mumbai Indians who have also been resurgent in the past week. A win for RR will take them to at least 5th position and will keep their playoff hopes alive.
However, a defeat will mean that they will have to win their remaining matches and see how the other teams fare to stand a chance of reaching the playoffs.
Let's take a look at RR's predicted XI for tonight's game.
Ajinkya Rahane hasn't been playing his finest cricket lately as he has scored a total of 18 runs in RR's last three matches combined. However, Rahane can always be a formidable player to take on and he cannot be taken lightly.
Jos Buttler has been Rajasthan's match-winner in their previous two games. He has been brilliant with the bat in RR's last four matches, scoring half-centuries in each of them. Looking at his consistency, Buttler will definitely be sent to open the innings and he will be hoping to continue his run-fest.
Sanju Samson has also been amongst Rajasthan's strengths this season as he has played some vital innings for the team so far. The youngster will be hoping to rack up big runs during the middle overs.
Ben Stokes is yet to live up to his auction price in the tournament but we all know how dangerous he can be when he gets going. The Englishman will be hoping to display some of his hard-hitting abilities tonight and stay on the crease for some time. His bowling is also pretty reliable too.
Rahul Tripathi might have missed out in the last game but his ability to score runs and Prashant Chopra's inability to perform could see him take the field tonight. Tripathi will be needed to pull off some of his performances he did with Rising Pune Supergiant last season now that RR are in a make or break situation.
Stuart Binny showed glimpses of his pinch-hitting abilities against the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan will be relying on him to play a cameo during the death overs. Ajinkya Rahane might also give Binny the ball to grab a couple of wickets which will be a major part of RR's strategy tonight as they will be up against a tough batting order.
K Gowtham has been very useful for Rajasthan Royals with a few of his cameos with the bat. Against CSK, he played just 4 deliveries but scored 13 valuable runs during the slog overs which was a major contributing factor in RR's win. His bowling and ability to take wickets is an additional reason why Mumbai Indians should be wary of him.
Jofra Archer produced a fantastic spell of 3/23 in RR's previous encounter against Mumbai Indians which was also his IPL debut. Rajasthan will be relying on him to take some early wickets during the powerplay overs.
Ankit Sharma was expensive against Chennai Super Kings as he conceded 11 runs from his solitary over. However, RR will be willing to give him another try and Sharma will be hoping to produce a better performance.
Jaydev Unadkat will need to be at his best in this crunch situation. He has improved a little with the ball in recent matches and will be expected to bowl a good spell tonight.
Ish Sodhi has been decent with the ball for Rajasthan in the three matches that he has played and will be looking to put up a strong performance with the ball tonight against Mumbai Indians.