Rajasthan need to win for final playoff spot as Parag, Jadeja declared fit
Fitness Boost: Parag + Jadeja Available
Riyan Parag: Captain, recovered from fitness concerns. Led with 90 off 49 vs DC earlier. Told to “look after own batting form” in first year as skipper. Ravindra Jadeja: Veteran allrounder fit. Traded from CSK for Sanju Samson. Used as floater – promoted up order vs DC. Management: Were “anxiously monitoring” both before MI game.
The big boost for RR is that their captain Riyan Parag and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja are fit for their final league game. While Parag has been troubled by a hamstring issue that made him miss two games, Jadeja was out of their last two matches with an elbow and knee issue.
RR's campaign was derailed when they suffered three successive defeats in the back-end of the season, but their recent comprehensive win against Lucknow Super Giants has put them back on the road to the playoffs. RR also have an edge over MI at the Wankhede, having won three of their four matches against them at this venue since 2015.
Start: 6 wins in first 7, looked title contenders. Beat MI earlier with Jaiswal’s 32-ball 77. Slump: Lost 6 of last 8, familiar mid-season collapse like 2023/2024. Recent: Beat LSG thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s “explosive innings” to keep hopes alive.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Wankhede specialist – maiden IPL ton here 3 years ago, another vs MI next year. Smashed Bumrah for 77 off 32 in Guwahati. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Teenage sensation, maiden Wankhede appearance in front of 19,000 schoolkids. Parag & Dhruv Jurel: Middle order need consistency – Jurel “lacked punch”, Parag “searching for consistency”.
Bottom line: With Parag and Jadeja declared fit, RR have no excuses. Beat MI at Wankhede and they’re in. Lose, and their playoff hopes “hang by a thread” relying on other results.
If the Wankhede pitch isn't slow enough, MI might consider bringing in an extra seamer in place of rookie legspinner Raghu Sharma. MI have cycled through 24 players - the most by any team - so far in this IPL. If they hand a debut to Bihar left-arm seamer Mohammed Izhar, he will be their 25th player.
Wankhede's pitch No. 6 is set to be used for the third time this IPL and the fifth time since February, when it hosted two T20 World Cup games. With this being an afternoon game, batting first might not be a bad idea, especially if the pitch is grippy and slows down as the game wears on. There are some showers forecast for Sunday afternoon in Mumbai.
