NEW DELHI: The perennial slow-starters of the IPL, Mumbai Indians, led by new skipper Hardik Pandya, will endeavor to turn their fortunes around as they face a confident Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Despite the change in leadership, with Pandya taking over from the five-time title-winning Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians find themselves in a familiar position with two consecutive losses at the start of their IPL campaign.
A six-run defeat to Pandya’s former team Gujarat Titans was followed by a 32-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, leaving Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom of the points table with the worst Net Run Rate among all teams.
The absence of Suryakumar Yadav, who is recovering from injuries, adds to Mumbai’s challenges. However, they will draw confidence from their 4-1 head-to-head record against Rajasthan Royals in their last five meetings.

Sanju Samson‘s Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have begun their IPL campaign with two wins, showcasing a strong batting lineup led by Samson himself and promising talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag. The presence of experienced players like Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin further strengthens their squad.
For Mumbai Indians, the onus will be on Pandya to make astute decisions and utilize key players like Jasprit Bumrah effectively. With a bowling attack comprising Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, and the promising Shams Mulani, Mumbai will look to contain Rajasthan’s formidable batting lineup.
While Rajasthan Royals boast a balanced bowling attack led by Nandre Burger and Avesh Khan, Mumbai Indians will rely on their seasoned campaigners to provide breakthroughs and restrict the opposition’s scoring.
As the two teams gear up for an enthralling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians will be eager to bounce back from their early setbacks and register their first win of the season, while Rajasthan Royals will aim to maintain their winning momentum and continue their ascent in the IPL standings.
The Squads:
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood, Suryakumar Yadav.
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Jos Buttler (wk), Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.
Match starts: 7:30 pm IST.
(With inputs from PTI)