Mumbai eyes revenge against Royals in reverse fixture

JAIPUR: A resurgent Mumbai Indians will need to address its bowling woes as it looks to exact revenge on table-topper Rajasthan Royals in their reverse fixture of the Indian Premier League here on Monday.

With three wins in last four games, MI has hit the recovery road after a poor start this season, while RR is on a rampaging run as it occupies the top spot with 12 points. The five-time champion survived a late onslaught from Ashutosh Sharma to eke out a nine-run win over Punjab Kings in the last game.

It was once again Jasprit Bumrah, who was left to do the heavy lifting as he stood out with his three wickets. The star India pacer shone with the new ball and then returned to produce a breakthrough, and he did all this without conceding much.

With 13 scalps, Bumrah tops the list of the most wickets this IPL. He also has the second-best economy of just under six runs but while he has been on the mark, his bowling colleagues have struggled.

Gerald Coetzee, too, has made an impact with 12 wickets but has gone for runs. But Akash Madhwal and skipper Hardik Pandya have been inconsistent.

While Shreyas Gopal has taken a wicket each in the three games he has played so far, MI also needs to use the experience of veteran Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammed Nabi as a bowler.

In batting, former skipper Rohit Sharma’s scintillating century, albeit in a losing cause, has been the highlight, while Ishan Kishan has been inconsistent. Hardik, too, hasn’t made much of an impact so far, while Tilak Verma has done moderately well.

A huge positive for MI is Suryakumar Yadav’s return to form. His 53-ball 78 against PBKS was the cornerstone of MI innings and on his day he can destroy any attack.

The last time MI faced the RR bowling unit, they looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, as Trent Boult removed three of its top-order batters for naught and the veteran left-arm pacer will again be a threat.

Avesh Khan has been entrusted with the responsibility of bowling at the death and he has done well. Kuldeep Sen, too, showed his skills but he needs to work on his economy.

With 12 wickets, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been RR’s most valuable player in the bowling department, though off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has struggled. For RR, Riyan Parag has been the batter of the season. The young Assam batter has reinvented himself and his 318 runs is one of the reasons why RR finds itself at the top of the pecking order. While the batting has revolved around him, skipper Sanju Samson too has produced some fine knocks for the team, aggregating 276 runs so far.