The 24th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will be played between the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday. After a decent start to the tournament, MI seems to have lost their winning touch this season.
MI has lost their last two matches to Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six and nine wickets respectively. As for RR, they are at seventh position in the points table with just a couple of wins and three losses from five games. They did manage to get the better of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last match though.
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As MI and RR face-off on Thursday, Here are 3 player battles to watch out for.
#3 Rahul Tewatia vs Rahul Chahar
RR’s lower-order has often been bolstered by some blitz knocks from Rahul Tewatia. So far, his efforts have not resulted in match-winning contributions, but Tewatia will be keen to make an impact in that regards when RR will be facing MI. MI leggie Rahul Chahar has been excellent for the franchise so far as he has developed a knack for taking wickets at crucial junctures. Apart from that, he has been keeping the runs down as well. Tewatia will look to take on Chahar in what could be an interesting tussle between Rahuls.
#2 Suryakumar Yadav vs Chris Morris
Suryakumar Yadav has looked in fine form almost his very games, but he has failed to convert the starts. With the tournament now moving towards the business end of the season, it will be important for Yadav to rediscover his real self, and a change of venue can do the job. Chris Morris has done well with the ball in the absence of Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes. Morris has taken five wickets in the first three games, but he does possess the ability to claim key wickets.
#1 Sanju Samson vs Jasprit Bumrah
It has been the same old story for Sanju Samson again as in IPL 2021 he has been struggling to be consistent. Against KKR though, he came up with a mature knock of 42 not out and took his team over the line. With an unsettled opening combination, he could be in early again against MI.
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Even as MI has not been at their best, Jasprit Bumrah has been bowling some crucial spells for the team. In a couple of games, he and Trent Boult combined brilliantly to bowl MI to victory from difficult positions. Against Samson, Bumrah will be expected to raise his game again as the RR skipper is the most prized wicket.
