IPL 2026: Here's why MI can end RR's unbeaten run
What's the story
In Match No. 13 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) at the ACA Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday. The Jaipur-based franchise has been in excellent form, winning their first two matches under the inspiring leadership of Riyan Parag. On the other hand, MI lost their last game after sealing their tournament opener. Here we look at why they are expected to dominate the Royals in the upcoming fixture.
Dynamics
Hardik Pandya set to return
MI have had a mixed start to IPL 2026. They won their first match but lost a closely contested game against Delhi Capitals. The expected return of regular skipper Hardik Pandya will add more balance to the line-up. Notably, three of MI's top-four batters - Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, and Suryakumar Yadav - have scored a fifty apiece in this tourney. Their bowling line-up features prominent stars like Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah.
RR
Here's why RR can struggle
In their first two games, RR were powered by fiery starts from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, in Boult, Bumrah, and Deepak Chahar, MI boast three quality new-ball bowlers. This attack is good enough to ignite a batting collapse on any pitch. Notably, skipper Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer have not had much batting time this season so far. They will have to tackle Santner's economical left-arm spin in the middle overs.
Prospect
Can MI's batting line-up tackle RR bowlers?
RR have an experienced bowling unit, comprising of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Bishnoi, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, and Sandeep Sharma. Though there are not many cracks in this attack, MI's solid top seven has the ability to ace the challenge. While Rohit, Rickelton, and SKY have already been among runs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, and Pandya can also inflict some serious damage. Hence, there won't be much breathing time for RR bowlers.
Line-ups
Here are the probable XIIs
RR Probable XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma. MI Probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Hardik Pandya (c), Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar