Rajasthan Royals Look To Seal Last IPL Playoffs Spot Against Mumbai Indians
Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals will look to go full throttle to secure the final play-off spot in the Indian Premier League when they take on struggling Mumbai Indians here on Sunday. It will be a test of stamina and fitness for both teams here on a potentially hot and humid Sunday afternoon, with Mumbai Indians determined to seal the match with a consolation win, while Rajasthan Royals will be aware that a defeat could rob them of their fortunes.
Currently placed fourth on 14 points, the Royals need to win against Mumbai Indians, which will take them to 16 points and at least one point ahead of the still-contending Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, if RR lose on Sunday, they will be hoping that both Punjab and Knight Riders suffer defeat in their last match for the Jaipur-based team to have a chance at the play-offs.
The Royals have lost more than they have won in their last five matches but will take their chances of winning against MI knowing the small size of the field.
Yashasvi Jaiswal poses the biggest threat to Mumbai Indians rather than Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fireworks at the top. The Indian opener, also a local boy, sealed his fate in the first half of the match by scoring a 32-ball 77 against Jasprit Bumrah and Co. in Guwahati.
Jaiswal returned to where he hit his IPL debut three years ago and scored his second ton against the same opposition the following year. However, RR will need more consistency from their captains Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, both of whom occupy important spots in the batting order but have failed to provide momentum in the middle overs. While Jurel hasn’t had enough power at times, Parag is looking for consistency.
On current form, RR face a more dangerous team who will be willing to deliver in times of need, knowing more players are fit. If it’s any consolation, MI’s record in the last five matches is similar to the Royals’ with three defeats and two wins, but in this case the home team will be determined to play for pride and the badge.
The contest will give MI’s struggling Indian stars Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma a chance to achieve one last hurrah with an impactful performance that will help their team get on a positive note.
For Bumrah in particular, the end of the season will also bring a much-needed break as the Indian pace attack spearhead will be looking to get back on his feet after a grueling six months of white-ball cricket.
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Danish Malewar, Robin Minz (wk), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Tilak Varma, Ashwani Kumar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, AM Ghazanfar, Krish Bhagat, Keshav Maharaj, Mayank Markande, Mohd Izhar, Raghu Sharma.
Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (c), Aman Rao, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (week), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (week), Ravi Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Adam Milne, Sushant Mishra, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Kuldeep Sen, Yash Raj Punja, Yudhvir Singh.
The match will start at 15.30 on May 23, 2026.
