Teetering Mumbai hope not to capsize

Thursday, May 1, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

If Mumbai Indians were hoping to pull off fashionably late, they might have overshot it a bit. Seventh place, with two wins and five losses, is the cost they have paid to determine their best combination. Yet, there is a feeling that most of the XI has to function at ideal levels to pose a threat.

A top three of Lendl Simmons, Parthiv Patel and Unmukt Chand doesn't appear reliable yet. Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard have been so far. But there's very little thereafter to worry a bowling attack, as evidenced by Harbhajan Singh being the team's fourth-highest scorer with 97 runs.

Their bowling did manage to defend 157 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but it was an exception rather than a rule with every bowler sporting an economy rate over 7.5. Considering the tournament is at the halfway stage, they cannot afford any more hiccups. Even trivial ones like a five-day gap from cricket.

Rajasthan Royals have their own trivial challenges. They have played nine games, two more than every other team and it is that exact difference of matches that have been washed out. Prior to that they had lost two games, so they'll want to regain some of the lost momentum. Their line-up has a good balance between accumulators and power hitters and a bowling attack has every resource, from swing bowlers to legspinners.

Mumbai Indians WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals LLWWW

Mitchell McClenaghan is a wicket-taker. He has played three matches in the IPL so far and he's struck in every one of them. If you're still not convinced, it only took 23 matches for him to take 50 ODI wickets - the joint second-fastest in history. He is also a rhythm bowler who gets extra zip to confound batsmen and Mumbai will hope he can that keep up.

Rajasthan Royals pride themselves on their local talent and giving them important responsibilities as Dhawal Kulkarni would know. He is normally given the new ball and does have a healthy outswinger when conditions favour him. Early wickets are vital against any opposition, but if he can pull Rohit Sharma in early against the moving ball