Mumbai Indians in do or die battle

Mumbai Indians go into their clash with Rajasthan Royals with their chances hanging on a thin thread. The sluggish Sharjah wicket plays to their advantage and it gives them odds of 1.65 to beat Sanju Samson’s side, but it might not be a cakewalk.

Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, come off the back of an impressive win over Chennai Super Kings on a batting paradise. They move from that to one of the slowest wickets in the tournament, and it might be hard adapting. Their odds of a win stand at 2.22 against Mumbai. 

Overall and recent record even

Even in their prime, Mumbai Indians have found it tough against Rajasthan Royals (overall record of 13-12 in favour of Mumbai) and their pace hitters. At Sharjah, though, that might not be a factor with the wicket expected to take massive turn. Rajasthan are short on impactful spinners and could find it tough against Mumbai.

RECOMMENDED BET: Mumbai Indians, despite their indifferent form, have some x-factor bowlers for Sharjah and have odds of 1.65 to beat RR.

In the last three years, RR have the slight edge with a 3-2 win-loss record. This despite the highs Mumbai have had in 2019 and 2020 speaks volumes about the rivalry between these sides.

Keep an eye on… 

Match ups from MI: Mumbai dropped Rahul Chahar for the DC game because of the left-handers in their side and brought in Jayant Yadav. And here that could continue with RR having four lefties in their top seven. MI might also be thinking of bringing in Marco Jansen or Adam Milne in place of Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Sanju Samson: Sanju Samson has had a rollercoaster ride as Rajasthan Royals captain, but now, like never before, might be the time to lead them from the front and push for a play-offs berth. If they beat Mumbai, Rajasthan will have boosted their chances immensely.

TIP: Kieron Pollard hasn’t been in great form but with MI promoting him up the order, his chances of being the top batter improves. The odds of it stand at 6.60