IPL 2021 is getting interesting day by day. Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have already qualified for the playoffs. Now everyone is eager to know who will grab the fourth and the last spot in the play-offs.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai Indians are the four teams who can qualify for the playoffs hence each match for these teams is going to be vital. Match No 51 is set to be played between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians.
It is going to be an important match for both the teams on their road towards play-offs.
Rajasthan Royals are currently at the 6th position in the points table. The team is looking in a good form after their recent victory against Chennai Super Kings. If Rajasthan Royals want to qualify for the playoffs, they must win the remaining two matches in the group stage.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians are at a shocking 7th position in the points table. Fans were expecting that Mumbai Indians will be one of the first teams to qualify for the playoffs but the team is struggling to perform well.
Head-to-head Statistics
| Played | Won by RR | Won by MI | Tie | No Result |
| 24 | 11 | 12 | – | 1 |
Out of the total 24 encounters between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians, the former have won 11 matches while the latter has won 12 matches and one match was not able to produce any result.
Match Details
Venue- Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
Date- 5th October 2021
Time- 7.30 pm (IST)
Pitch Report-
The pitch at Sharjah is known to host some high-scoring matches as the stadium consists of short boundaries.
Hence the bowlers have to be careful as there are chances of some hard-hitting shots by the batsmen. The dew might also affect the game hence the team winning the toss would like to field first.
Rajasthan Royals predicted XI-
Sanju Samson(W, C), Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Glenn Phillips, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Akash Singh, Mayank Markande, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman.
Mumbai Indians predicted XI-
Rohit Sharma( C ), Quinton de Kock(W), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jayant Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
Key Players-
Batsmen-
Rohit Sharma
The captain of Mumbai Indians is the leading run-scorer of the team. He has scored 341 runs from 11 matches with an average of 31 and has a strike rate of 124.90.
Sanju Samson
Samson is the top run-scorer of Rajasthan Royals. He has scored 480 runs from 12 matches and has an average of 48 and a strike rate of 139.53.
In every match, the fans witness some fine strokes by the Royals captain and hope to see them coming in every match.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
The youngster of Rajasthan Royals is in great form this IPL season. He has played some important knocks for his team.
He also becomes the second player of Rajasthan Royals to score the fastest fifty against Chennai Super Kings. He is one of the star batsmen on the team.
| Players | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR |
| Rohit Sharma | 11 | 11 | 0 | 341 | 63 | 31.00 | 273 | 124.90 |
| Sanju Samson | 12 | 12 | 2 | 480 | 119 | 48.00 | 344 | 139.33 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 8 | 8 | 0 | 237 | 50 | 29.62 | 156 | 151.92 |
All-rounders-
Kieron Pollard
The all-rounder from West Indies is an important player on the team. He is an amazing batsman and a good bowler as well. He is the third lead run-scorer of the team.
He has scored 232 runs from 12 matches. He also has 5 wickets in his kitty from 12 matches. He has a bowling average of 17.20 and an economy of 7.70.
Bowlers-
Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker of Mumbai Indians. He has taken 17 wickets from 12 matches and has a bowling average of 21.00 and an economy of 7.59.
He is known for his fiery yorkers and fans are hoping to see them in the matches ahead.
Chetan Sakariya
He is one of the leading wicket-takers of the Rajasthan Royals. He has taken 12 wickets from 12 matches and is expected to add more wickets to the total. He has a bowling average of 30.58 and an economy of 8.15.
| Player | Mat | Inns | Ov | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Econ | SR |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 12 | 12 | 47 | 357 | 17 | 21.00 | 7.59 | 16.58 |
| Chetan Sakariya | 12 | 12 | 45 | 367 | 12 | 30.58 | 8.15 | 22.50 |
Match Prediction-
It is going to be a tough fight between both teams. The toss will be an important factor here. Who is your pick?