🏏IPL 2024: Match 38 - RR vs MI at Jaipur @ 7:30PM IST🏏 - Page 2

Probable Best Players of the Match

Probable Best Batter

Jos Buttler slammed a brilliant ton in the last game and will look to deliver a good start for the Royals. He has been striking the ball well and fitness could be a question for the next game. With RR getting ample time before their game against MI, Buttler seems to have recovered well. If he sees through Jasprit Bumrah in the initial part of the tussle, he could prove as a game-changer.

Probable Best Bowler

Jasprit Bumrah must strike early to put the MI in a commanding position. The bowling attack must deliver the goods as they are up against a formidable batting lineup. Having said that, Bumrah has led from the front as was evident in the game against Punjab Kings. Where every other bowler went for runs, he bowled at an economy rate of less than six.

Scenario 1

Rajasthan Royals win the toss and bowl

Power Play score – 60-70

First Innings Score- 190-210

Rajasthan Royals win the match

Scenario 2

Mumbai Indians win the toss and bowl

Power Play score - 50-60

First Innings Score - 180-200

Mumbai Indians to win the match

After two victories on the road that helped them consolidate the No.1 position, Rajasthan Royals return to Jaipur for their final match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. With a 3-1 record here this season, the Royals have somewhat rebuilt their fortress and they'll be keen to complete that job before travelling for four away games and two 'home matches' in Guwahati which complete their league stage journey.

RR are up against a Mumbai Indians team that has started to find its feet in the competition after a wayward start and will be looking to add more to the wins column. These two sides last faced each other at the start of April when the left-arm seam of Trent Boult and Nandre Burger, and the guile of Yuzvendra Chahal proved too much for MI to handle. That was the third straight loss that MI suffered but they have since won three out of four and will be looking to build on that.

Thanks for the tag 

All the best to both teams 

A Jos Buttler special saw the Royals pull off a record run-chase as they reached the target of 224 off the last ball in a thrilling finish at Eden Gardens. Riyan Parag also made a useful contribution to extend his good run in the tournament but RR will be hoping that the rest of the batting order gets going, especially Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel who haven't been at their best. The spinners were expensive in the last outing and RR will be hoping the return to Jaipur and the bigger boundary dimensions help them get back in business.

In their previous match, MI overcame a spirited lower-order performance from Punjab Kings to defend a total of 192. Rohit Sharma's good form with the bat augurs well for MI, same with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. Ishan Kishan has had a couple of low scores and MI will be hoping he gets amongst the runs, while the captain Hardik Pandya himself needs to step up. Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah has led from the front while Gerald Coetzee's performance against PBKS also comes as a shot in the arm for MI who have been depending largely on their pace spearhead. The spin department has been an area of concern for MI but Shreyas Gopal's familiarity with the Jaipur conditions could serve them well and Mohammad Nabi could also have a role to play with the ball.

Thanks for the tag. Hope RR wins.

Today is Surya's odd day 

When: RR vs MI, Match 38 - Monday, April 22 at 19:30 IST

Where: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

What to expect: Teams haven't been able to cross the 200 barrier at this venue in 2024. Totals in the vicinity of 180-190 have proved good totals here, with RR having defended successfully twice. They were on course to defend 196 against Gujarat Titans too but Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia pulled off something special. Earlier, RR themselves chased down a target of 184 against RCB here. So the toss isn't that much of a factor at this venue.

Teams watch

Rajasthan Royals

Injury/Availability: Nandre Burger (niggle in the leg) and Sandeep Sharma (side strain) missed a few games. Burger, though, would have featured in the previous game had RR batted first, according to RR director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara, who also said Sandeep has made a good recovery.

Tactics & Matchups: Should Sandeep return, RR would like to use him against Rohit as he has dismissed the batter five times in 44 deliveries. Boult and Avesh Khan have dismissed Rohit twice - in 18 and 13 deliveries respectively. Boult and Sandeep also have a good record against Kishan, having dismissed him twice each, while Chahal has accounted for the left-handed opener three times. Chahal also has favourable matchups against Suryakumar and Pandya, which will make him an important weapon for RR in the middle overs. Avesh's success against Pandya gives RR another option, especially in the death overs.

Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen/Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal. [Impact sub: Nandre Burger/Keshav Maharaj]

Mumbai Indians

Injury/Availability: MI currently don't have any fitness concerns with their personnel.

Tactics & Matchups: Bumrah will be key for MI against Buttler, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer. He has dismissed Buttler twice, with the batter having a strike rate of only 95.4 against him. Bumrah has accounted for Hetmyer three times and Samson two times, with the two having strike rates of 64.3 and 98.1 respectively against the MI pace ace.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah. [Impact sub: Akash Madhwal]

Did you know?

- Among those who have scored 400-plus runs against Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Jos Buttler is one of only two players with a fifty-plus average. His 498 runs against MI have come in nine innings, with one century and four fifties, and he has a strike rate of 148.65 against them

- Among the current players from MI and RR, Shreyas Gopal is the leading wicket-taker in Jaipur, with 15 wickets at an average of 16.66 and an economy of 7.35, with a best of 4-16. Yuzvendra is second on the list with 14 wickets

- Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have scored 334 runs in the powerplay in IPL 2024 at a combined strike rate of 176.72. On the other hand, RR's openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler have managed only 204 runs in this phase, at a combined SR of 136.91