NEW DELHI: The perennial slow-starters of the IPL, Mumbai Indians, led by new skipper Hardik Pandya, will endeavor to turn their fortunes around as they face a confident Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Despite the change in leadership, with Pandya taking over from the five-time title-winning Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians find themselves in a familiar position with two consecutive losses at the start of their IPL campaign.
A six-run defeat to Pandya's former team Gujarat Titans was followed by a 32-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, leaving Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom of the points table with the worst Net Run Rate among all teams.
The absence of Suryakumar Yadav, who is recovering from injuries, adds to Mumbai's challenges. However, they will draw confidence from their 4-1 head-to-head record against Rajasthan Royals in their last five meetings.
1/9:Hardik Pandya vs Rohit Sharma records in IPL
Agencies
2/9:MI's new captain
<p>Mumbai Indians have officially named Hardik Pandya as the captain for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), putting an end to Rohit Sharma's remarkable tenure.</p>Agencies
3/9:Rohit's arrival
<p>Rohit took over the captaincy midway through IPL 2013, from a misfiring Ricky Ponting, leading the team to five IPL titles in 10 seasons.</p>Agencies
4/9:Long legacy
<p>As the fourth-highest run-scorer in IPL history, Rohit has amassed 5110 runs, with 3986 runs coming as the captain of MI.</p>Agencies
5/9:Pandya introduced
<p>Hardik began his career at MI in 2015. After a release following the 2021 season, Pandya joined the Ahmedabad franchise, Gujarat Titans, and assumed the captaincy in 2022.</p>Agencies
6/9:Impressive numbers
<p>Rohit Sharma boasts a total of 158 matches as captain, with 87 wins, 67 losses, and 4 ties, achieving a win percentage of 55.06%.</p>Agencies
7/9:Captain Pandya
<p>Hardik Pandya's captaincy record includes 31 matches, with 22 victories and 9 defeats, resulting in an impressive win percentage of 70.97%.</p>Agencies
8/9:Hitman
<p>Rohit Sharma accumulated a total of 3986 runs as captain, with an average of 30.25 and a striking rate of 129.37.</p>Agencies
9/9:Kung-Fu Pandya
<p>Hardik Pandya's batting performance as captain comprises 868 runs, with an average of 36.16 and a striking rate of 133.95.</p>AgenciesSanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have begun their IPL campaign with two wins, showcasing a strong batting lineup led by Samson himself and promising talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag. The presence of experienced players like Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin further strengthens their squad.
For Mumbai Indians, the onus will be on Pandya to make astute decisions and utilize key players like Jasprit Bumrah effectively. With a bowling attack comprising Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, and the promising Shams Mulani, Mumbai will look to contain Rajasthan's formidable batting lineup.
While Rajasthan Royals boast a balanced bowling attack led by Nandre Burger and Avesh Khan, Mumbai Indians will rely on their seasoned campaigners to provide breakthroughs and restrict the opposition's scoring.
As the two teams gear up for an enthralling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians will be eager to bounce back from their early setbacks and register their first win of the season, while Rajasthan Royals will aim to maintain their winning momentum and continue their ascent in the IPL standings.
The Squads:
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood, Suryakumar Yadav.
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Jos Buttler (wk), Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.
Match starts: 7:30 pm IST.
(With inputs from PTI)
