Preview: Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals
The second week of IPL starts with the clash of two confident teams – Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Rajasthan Royals are currently leading the table, having comfortably beaten Punjab and Kolkata. Mumbai Indians have won 2 out of 3 this season, and come off a tight contest with Deccan Chargers after Rohit Sharma hammered a six off the last ball to knock down an improbable task of getting 18 runs in the last over.
Mumbai’s bowling line-up has performed impressively in all the 3 games and they have put the opposition under pressure early by taking quick wickets. However, they might be mulling over probable changes in their batting line-up after they struggled to chase down low scores, and might decide to push Pollard up the order. Rajasthan has been successful so far with its pick of players, but it will be interesting to see whether its young stars will continue to perform and meet the increasingly high expectations.
The pitch is not likely to offer much pace, and the medium pacers and spinners in both the teams will be difficult to get away with. Harbhajan’s conduct will be under close scrutiny after his unfitting argument with umpire Johan Cloete in the match against the Deccan Chargers. He was let off with a warning and will have to keep his composure in check if he has to prove himself as a captain.
Head to Head
Though Royals have won 4 out of the total 7 contests between the two teams, Mumbai Indians were thrashed by the Royals in both the games last year, with a seven-wicket win at home and a ten-wicket bashing away.
Players to watch out for
Rajasthan Royals
Kevon Cooper
With 7 wickets in 2 games, Kevon Cooper has started his IPL career on a high and could bother the Mumbai batsmen with his slow-medium bowling on a sluggish pitch. He is also proving to be a potential power-hitter down the order, something that could prove to be quite useful when there is not much pace to work with.
Ajinkya Rahane
The law of averages says that more often than not, a huge knock is likely to be followed by a series of disappointments. Rahane may have been run out against Kolkata, but the grace, ease and precision that Rahane played with in his impressive knock of 98 against Punjab gives reason to believe that he could continue churning out runs and give a solid start to the Royals.
Rahul Dravid
Dravid has got starts in both the matches, and could play a crucial role in navigating the slow bowlers and keeping the stream of runs steady from one end. He will push himself to get a good knock under his belt sooner than later.
Mumbai Indians
Lasith Malinga
Malinga is the highest wicket taker in IPL, and it does not look like he will be overtaken any time soon. The only delivery that is as difficult to put away as Malinga’s Yorker is Malinga’s slower ball. Wickets. Check. Economy rate. Check. Inimitable hairstyle. Check.
Kieron Pollard
Pollard’s high impact play has been under-utilized, and with Mumbai’s shaky starts recently, he might be used in the top order to give a much needed impetus in the first 10 overs.
Pragyan Ojha
Ojha gave 39 runs in his 4 overs against Deccan Chargers, but his slow variations could be difficult to counter on the Wankhede pitch. Harbhajan might choose to bowl Ojha before himself since the Royals’ top order is right-handed with lefties coming in the middle order.
Anticipated face off
Malinga to Dravid. Dravid has been under the weather after his technique was tested in Australia. He might be greeted at the crease with some nose-brushing and toe-crushing deliveries from Malinga. What better than proving his critics wrong by playing a beautiful cover drive off Malinga?
Prediction for the match
Though Mumbai sports a strong and experienced bowling line-up, their batting has made a mess of chasing low totals. Sachin Tendulkar’s experience at the top is being heavily missed, and the two opening combinations of Rayadu-Levi and Suman-Levi haven’t clicked. Rajasthan Royals seem to have got their permutations right the first time, and with the leadership of an aplomb Rahul Dravid and confidence in all departments, Rajasthan Royals will be tough to tame. My prediction: Rajasthan Royals.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/10/kkr-register-their-first-win/
https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/11/the-big-fair-named-ipl/