RR vs MI Preview: Will Hardik Pandya play? MI captain returns to training

Guwahati: It’s still early days in the season, but Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians looked very different in their clash at the Balsapara Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.Royals have built early momentum with back-to-back wins while the five-time champions are looking for consistency after losing to Delhi Capitals in six games after a dominant win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Rajasthan started their campaign with an emphatic victory in their adopted home of Guwahati, followed by a tense but smart win over the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. Having defended just 15 points in the last two overs and sealed a 6-point victory in the final game, the Riyan Parag-led side is full of confidence and will be looking to continue their winning streak in the second game.Meanwhile, Mumbai will be keen on captain’s return Hardik PandyaMissed the last game due to viral fever. With India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav serving as stand-in captain against Delhi, MI looked a little uneasy having to reshuffle their squad.Pandya has since returned to practice and is expected to return to the starting lineup, although he missed Monday’s practice after Sunday’s practice. MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey expressed optimism at the pre-match press conference.“Yes, he will play. Yesterday he played for a few hours. He is in good shape. He is not injured, just unwell,” Mambre said.Pandya’s absence forced MI to bring in South African all-rounder Corbin Bose as his replacement, with Trent Boult making way. Deepak Chahar played well but Bosch failed to deliver, resulting in a lack of balance in MI’s bowling combination.

Bumrah still has to pick wicketsJasprit Bumrah was as economical as ever but is yet to take a wicket this season, while Mitchell Santner performed well enough to retain his place. However, the MI attack faced a tough challenge from Rajasthan’s batting unit.Explosive openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal provided a strong start, with Dhruv Jurel settling in at number three. Parag and Shimron Hetmyer are yet to get enough time in the midfield. Still, their presence adds depth to the lineup.Parag, in particular, will take confidence from his calm leadership against Gujarat and his deft bowling changes helped Tushar Deshpande defend 11 runs in the final over. Royals looked balanced as Jofra Archer and Nader Berg shared the new ball effectively.However, Mumbai have enough firepower in Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma to turn the tables and initiate a game where momentum meets experience.numbers game

Statistics – Rajesh Kumar