The bowlers are getting bruises from every day of this tournament. Bowling never seems easy at the current conditions of UAE. And on the other side, Batters are becoming a nightmare for bowlers with their heavy swords.
The team which bowls well would win the game with ease as the batting has become so comfortable. Making a hundred runs within a span of six overs are frequently made possible in this tournament.
This batting dominating edition of IPL will witness another tough fight between the champions Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.
Without getting into many build-ups, let’s get into predictions for the Match No.19 of IPL 2020: MI vs RR.
Prediction on the top run-scorer.
Steven Smith has got two failures in the last two matches. He wasn’t making a start, which Rajasthan Royals wanted to have. Maybe his combination with Jos Buttler is not working well for his mindset. But still, his slot as an opener is the right position for him to come in and bat for more times in an innings. It gives him time to get on a roll. But the problem is RR is possessing two or three other batters for this opening slot where Smithy can come to his usual one drop position. So this match will be crucial for the Aussie batter to stick in with this position. The strong bowling line up of Mumbai Indians won’t be bigger trouble for Steve Smith as he is a master tactician of using the loose balls of the bowlers.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has failed in the last match, which was held at the venue known for its high scoring nature. This would have made him ready to right the wrong with another stunning knock. Except for Jofra Archer, the other bowlers Rajasthan team are kind of easy picks for Steve Smith, and that makes him one of the favourites to score more runs in this clash.
Prediction on top wicket-taker
Jofra Archer is lethal, and he is the same in UAE conditions too. He has this habit of clocking speed above 140 kmph so consistently. The release of the ball is so divine so that the ball is getting the extra nip even from the feather belt UAE wickets. The process of wicket-taking hasn’t done well so far for Archer in this edition. The way he restricts runs is what makes him more precious for Rajasthan. Since he will play against the stars-filled MI team, Mumbai’s batters won’t be thinking of playing him safely. They usually go for runs against any bowler in the death overs. Especially Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, they both will try to knock on Archer’s over. This, in turn, creates Archer the opportunity to scalp more wickets during the penultimate over.
Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian speedster, has overcome the low he was having during the start of this season. He has become inexpensive again with his excellent thought process. As he has the habit of scalping the critical wickets of opponents, this match against Rajasthan Royals, which contains their crucial wickets at the top of the order, might make Bumrah a handy pick with the new ball.
Prediction on Who will win the match?
Looking upon the batting cards of both the teams, Mumbai Indians are way ahead of Rajasthan Royals based on the team strength. Mumbai’s first five batters are so strong and experienced. They have gone through many pressure situations and have won the situations most of the time. Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s core batters are inexperienced as their too order batters Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, and Sanju Samson, match winners. The entire responsibility of the batting department lies in them. So, comparatively, Mumbai Indians are much stronger than the Rajasthan Royals batting department.
Bowling wise, currently, Mumbai Indians are the best only next Delhi capitals, team. The bowlers of Delhi are in good form, and that makes the difference. The two pacers from South Africa and the two Indian opposite spinners have become a great combination in restricting the opponents’ runs.
In the meanwhile, Mumbai Indians aren’t comfortable with the form of their bowlers. Anyone among the six steps forward to guide their troops home in the last four games. So Mumbai has these tactics to manage a game even though their bowlers aren’t in good shape with bowling.
On looking at the whole comparisons, Mumbai is ahead of the pink team in this match.
Prediction on the most six-hitting batter:
You cannot leave the name of Hardik Pandya on this list whenever Mumbai plays their matches. Hardik, with his immense hitting skill, is always a dangerous batter against all types of bowlers. The power he could generate with his enormous bat swing makes him so unique. With Rajasthan isn’t possessing experienced spinners in their list of players, Hardik would be ready to roar against their spinners. If Hardik gets on a roll, then even Jofra Archer won’t be left alone from the brutal hits of Hardik Pandya.
Kieron Pollard, the death over partner for Hardik, is another giant hitter of the cricket ball. His recent performances speak a lot about the impact he could bring into his side. With his monstrous six-hitting ability, he can take down any bowler when he is in fine touch with his bat swings.
So with the specialization of six-hitting, both Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard are once again stepping in as the favourites to hit more sixes in this match.
Prediction on Man of the match
Kieron Pollard, with his three-dimensional contribution, can be handy against the men in pink. His insane aggression in the death overs, restricting bowling during the middle overs, and his magnificent fielding in the downtown make him the most valuable player for the Mumbai side. If Pollard manages to perform half of his total potential, he is a sure pick for grabbing the player’s award of this game.
To sum up
Eventually, Mumbai Indians are too good for Rajasthan Royals. And this pushes Rajasthan to a situation where they must produce an extraordinary contribution from their side to be in the game and win it from Mumbai’s mighty.
