While all eyes will be on a certain 14-year-old who has rocked the cricketing world with his power-hitting skills, Mumbai Indians will be looking to continue their phenomenal run towards the playoffs. And although Rajasthan Royals might have produced their best batting performance of the season in the last game, MI have been doing it consistently for the past five matches. In their case, it’s not just the bat doing the talking—it’s the ball and sharp fielding as well.
On Thursday, when the two teams face off at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, sparks are bound to fly, with both sides still in contention for a playoff spot. RR may find it difficult from here. Mathematically, they still have a chance, but realistically—despite their heroics in the last game—they look likely to follow Chennai Super Kings as the next team to crash out.
MI, on the other hand, have once again rejuvenated their campaign at just the right time, despite a slow start. The team is collectively hitting peak form. Rohit Sharma has rediscovered his touch, Suryakumar Yadav is coaxing the ball across the park, and a fully fit Jasprit Bumrah is back to his best. Trent Boult is once again making the ball talk, while Will Jacks has delivered a couple of impactful performances, adding depth to the squad.
“No team looks to get off to a bad start or lose matches in the first half of the tournament… take the learnings, try to get that little bit better,” said MI fast bowler Trent Boult at the pre-match press conference. “A lot of teams speak about getting one or two percent better. It’s probably a little bit more room for us there. We have to get five or ten percent better and just come back and keep going at it.
“So if everyone wants that—has that desire to stand up and put in a good performance—it’s generally a good recipe for succeeding in T20 cricket,” he added.
With RR having won their last five encounters against MI in Jaipur, Thursday’s match sets the stage for an intriguing clash between two teams currently at opposite ends of the points table.
“It’s nice to see things clicking at the right time, but there’s still a lot of hard work to be done. Obviously, [we] come up against a good side here tomorrow night [RR], and we’re just looking forward to a good encounter,” Boult added.
MI’s balance, confidence, and form have already started ringing alarm bells for the other teams competing for playoff spots. The surface in Jaipur might offer grip and turn, meaning the spinners could play a crucial role. In a game where pressure and spotlight are inevitable, it will come down to which players—new stars or seasoned ones—can seize the moment and turn the tide for their team.
The Hardik Pandya-led MI side has the best Net Run Rate (NRR) in the league and with a victory in Jaipur, MI will push into the top two with just four games to go—a position of serious control. Unless, like their winning streak, they go on to lose their last four games, leaving them stranded on 12 points and a below par NRR.
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