Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals Predictions: MI needs a win to get out of second last place.

Playing in their ninth game of the season Mumbai Indians will welcome Rajasthan Royals in the 42nd game of the season at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai on 30th April. MI needs a win to get out of second last place. Who will win this game?

The Mumbai Indians have had an inconsistent season so far, with a losing start followed by two consecutive losses that put them in 8th place on the points table. With half of the matches already played, they will need to win games to remain in contention for a top-4 finish.

The opening pair of Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma has not been consistent enough, and Rohit Sharma has struggled to connect with the ball. There have been rumours of a minor injury, and he may take a break. Cameron Green and Tilak Varma have played some good innings in the middle order, but the lower-order batsmen have not capitalized.

The bowling attack has relied heavily on Piyush Chawla, who has taken 11 wickets, but the lack of an experienced spinner has been costly in the middle overs. The bowling lineup is not at an IPL level, and the team will need a score that is 10-15 runs above par to remain competitive.

The pitch at Chepauk Stadium has slowed down, and the weather on Sunday is expected to be overcast with some showers, which could help the seam bowlers generate some swing. The two-paced nature of the wicket means that the batsmen will have to get their eyes in before playing big shots, and the high temperature and humidity could add to the challenge.

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Daniel Sams, Murugan Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Basil Thampi

The Rajasthan Royals have bounced back after two consecutive defeats and clinched a victory in their last game against CSK by 32 runs. This win should give them a boost of confidence for their upcoming match.

The Royals have shown an all-around effort this season. Their opening pair, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler is one of the most potent in the league, and they will aim to give the team a strong start. Buttler has been relatively subdued in his previous games, but he is a consistent performer who could be an ideal pick for your fantasy team's captain.

Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal, and Shimron Hetmeyer are consistent performers in the middle order, and Dhruv Jurel is a reliable finisher. We expect Samson to benefit from the ball coming onto the bat in Mumbai and score heavily in the upcoming match. The Rajasthan Royals have the highest scoring rate in powerplay overs and have hit the most sixes in IPL 2023 so far.

In the bowling department, the spinners have performed well. Yuzvendra Chahal is the leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets, followed closely by Ravichandran Ashwin with 11. Adam Zampa picked up three wickets in the last game against CSK and played an important role in the team's victory. However, we do not expect Zampa to play in the upcoming match and may be replaced by a fast bowler, ideally Boult if he is fit.

While waiting for Trent Boult to recover from a niggle, Sandeep Sharma and Jason Holder are expected to lead the pace attack.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, James Neesham, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna

Historically, the Mumbai pitch has been favourable for batting, and this season is no exception. In the last match held there, teams scored over 400 runs. Additionally, the Mumbai ground has relatively small dimensions and a fast outfield. Although fast bowlers can receive some assistance from the pitch. As for the weather, it is expected to remain humid with temperatures hovering around 29 degrees Celsius. Rajasthan are in good form and are expected to win the game against Mumbai.