As both the teams are currently at 10 points from their respective 11 games, they both have a chance to qualify for the playoffs thus turning the heat on.
Cricket news: Can Mumbai carry on with their fairy-tale comeback or will Rajasthan do the double over their opponents
Mumbai are making an epic comeback from their slow start to the season as they recently had twin wins over Kolkata. Rajasthan are also at a similar position as their previous two games against Chennai and Punjab ended in a win.
Mumbai has entered the race much to the credit of their all-round performance in recent times. Skipper Rohit Sharma has confirmed his position as a one-down batsman. Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan is also performing with the bat and Ben Cutting inclusion has stabilised the lower order.
The death bowling has not yet been tested, as the batsmen are turning the game around. But the bowlers had a long three hours on the eve of the game, under the supervision of player-turned-mentor Lasith Malinga.
The batting of Rajasthan Royals have been a brittle one as their skipper Ajinkya Rahane continues to have a string of single-digit scores.
Rahul Tripathi has scored just 17 in nine appearances and was dropped from the squad. His replacements in the likes of Stuart Binny and Mahipal Lomror has also not performed well.
The biggest disappointment of Rajasthan would be their MVP Ben Stokes, who has failed to do justice to his price tag, as his average is just above 16 and has taken three wickets from then games.
There are also some positive sides as their wicketkeeper Jos Butler has scored four successive half-centuries. Jofra Archer’s pace had troubled the Mumbai batsmen in the previous leg match.
Krishnappa Gowtham has been good in the role of a finisher. However if Rajasthan wishes to succeed, they would need more than just their select players at their best form.
Venue – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
MI Probable XI: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (wk), JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande
RR Probable XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Prashant Chopra/Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma/Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi.