IPL5: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians - Match Preview
Having already qualified for the tournament playoffs, alongside http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians are all set to take on Rajasthan Royals in an inconsequential Indian Premier League match, here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium,
Jaipur, today, May 20, 2012.
The 72nd match of the ongoing fifth edition of Indian Premier League will be the last league fixture of the season and the Harbhajan-led Mumbai Indians will be looking forward to wind it up the way they started it last month, with a convincing
win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2012 curtain raiser at Chepauk.
On the other side of the coin, the Rajasthan Royals, after getting off to a good start this season, winning their initial couple matches, faltered miserably towards the end of the league stage. Dravid and company was crashed out of the playoffs race after
they suffered an upset five-wicket defeat at the hands of the bottom placed Deccan Chargers on Friday. However, they must be looking forward to sign off the season on a high by winning today’s match against Bhajji and men.
In their previous match against Deccan, Rajasthan’s batting fared miserably as they could only score 126 for 8 in their stipulated 20 overs. The RR openers, skipper Dravid and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajinkya-Rahane-c970, have scored the bulk of runs this season, and it was the lack
of support for the top order that cost the side a place in the next round, despite a decent start.
Though the batsmen were out of sorts, Royals’ bowlers did a fine job pushing the Chargers to the penultimate over before losing the game by five wickets. Little-known local boy, Ajit Chandila, has been a revelation for Dravid-led Rajasthan Royals, in the
final stages of their IPL-V campaign. Presence of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SW-Tait-c2616 makes their pace battery a versatile one.
With nine wins in 15 outings so far this season, the MI have no different story to tell. Harbhajan’s men should consider themselves fortunate to have made it to the knock-out stage as in six of their nine wins of the season, they barely managed to get past
the finish line. In their previous match, against Kolkata Knight Riders, they faltered miserably while chasing a mediocre 141, losing by 32 runs.
For Mumbai as well, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KA-Pollard-c1754.
Their bowling, however, has played a crucial role in Mumbai making it to the tournament playoffs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MM-Patel-c1987 and Kieron Pollard have really carried Mumbai.
Mumbai’s middle-order batsman, Rohit Sharma, agreed that the side has not fared well so far this season.
"We accept that we haven't played the way we wanted to play. People say we haven't played to our potential, [but] still we are at No.3 [in the points table]. So, if we as a team can play to our potential, I am sure we are going to do well," said Sharma on
the eve of the match.
The wicket at the Sawai Mansingh traditionally favours stroke-play, so one can expect a high scoring fixture tonight at Jaipur.
Probable XIs:
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shreevats-Goswami-c2518 (wk), 9 Ajit Chandila, 10 Shaun Tait, 11 Siddharth Trivedi
Mumbai Indians: 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RP-Singh-c87028
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