High-flying Royals look to pile misery on the five-times champions Mumbai Indians.

Backed by their dominant show against Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals travel to Mumbai to take on the most successful side in the league, Mumbai Indians, in what will be the 1000th Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

It’s the crucial stage in the league phase of IPL 2023. And the Royals are in a prime position having risen to the challenge this season. With eight matches played, the Men in Pink are atop the IPL 2023 league table with 10 points while MI are languishing at the eighth spot with just three wins from their seven matches. Though the Royals have lost two of their previous three ties, it in no way reflects the manner in which they have performed this season.

The Sanju Samson-led side has put on a commendable show in all the departments with some big-match performances from the likes of Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and R Ashwin, among others. The batters have ensured that they rip into the opposition and fire from the word go to post huge scores, and the bowlers have complemented well with their artistry. 

But it’s their fielding that’s given the Royals an edge over others. With players throwing their bodies on the line and holding on to every possible catch, the opponents have found it hard to break free when Rajasthan Royals are in full flow. The Royals’ faithful will be counting on a similar show when they take on Mumbai Indians next at the Wankhede Stadium.

Match details

IPL 2023: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals - April 30, 2023

Wankhede Stadium

7:30 PM IST

When it comes to the 22-yard strip at the Wankhede, one has to take into account the Arabian Sea that’s at a stone’s throw distance from the venue. The breeze tends to aid the pacers but as the match progresses, one can see the spinners coming into play on what overall looks like a good track to bat on if the batters are patient enough to spend some time in the middle. Moreover, the humidity in Mumbai could mean dew too playing its part in what’s a 7:30 PM IST start.

The average first-innings score at Wankhede in IPL 2023 has been around 185 with both pacers (19) and spinners (16) accounting for enough wickets. Overall, if you’re a T20 fan, a match at the Wankhede will give you your money’s worth. 

Battle to watch out

Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult 

He had to sit out of the previous match to a minor niggle, but if Trent Boult is to take the field against Mumbai Indians, it’d be a homecoming of sorts for the Royals’ speed gun who spent a few seasons with the five-time IPL champions before joining the Royals. And this could give way from an exciting duel between Boult and the MI skipper Rohit Sharma, who’ll be playing his 150th match as the franchise’s captain.

Rohit Sharma’s most dismissals against left-arm pacers in T20s

Bowler

Innings

Runs

Balls

Dismissals

Average

Strike rate

Trent Boult

12

67

48

4

16.8

140

Beuran Hendricks

3

0

4

3

0.0

0

Jason Behrendorff

5

20

18

3

6.7

111

Mustafizur Rahman

10

91

60

3

30.3

152

Irfan Pathan

9

70

47

2

35.0

149

Sharma has had issues against left-arm pacers. And it’s not surprising that Boult has troubled the Indian cricket star as well. The Kiwi has been among the most difficult bowlers that Sharma has faced, having lost his wicket to Boult four times in 12 innings. Moreover, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the form graph. While Sharma has struggled to let loose, scoring at an average of below 30 in IPL 2023, Boult has been spitting fire. But given the class batter that Sharma is, it might just be a matter of time that the tide changes. 

Key player

Yashasvi Jaiswal

The leading run score for Rajasthan Royals, Yashasvi Jaiswal is in blistering form. On a night when most of the batters struggled to get into a rhythm, the 21-year-old faced no trouble in taking on the bowlers as he set up a fantastic win for the Royals against the Chennai Super Kings a few days back. At a venue where he plays his domestic cricket, Jaiswal will be hoping to continue the same form that’s made him a hot prospect this season.

His fearless batting and cool head accompanied by his presence of mind and a safe pair of hands in the field has made the young Indian a reliable figure in the Royals’ setup. With the management backing him, it might just be a matter of time before Jaiswal takes his game to greater heights this season.

Team news

A minor injury to Trent Boult saw the Rajasthan Royals management include Kuldip Yadav in the playing XI. And the Indian responded well with an economical performance of 1-18 in his three overs. Against a Mumbai Indians side that’s struggling to find its feet, the Royals will look to add to the misery with some of their trusted lieutenants expected to lead the charge. 

Milestone alert

  • The match between MI and RR will be the 1000th match in IPL.
  • R Ashwin is two wickets away from 300 wickets in T20s
  • Jos Buttler is 33 runs away from 500 runs against MI in IPL.
  • Devdutt Padikkal needs 48 runs to reach 1500 runs in IPL.