Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians - IPL 2022 Match 44: Who Will Win?

Rajasthan Royals Team Preview

The Rajasthan Royals are going from strength to strength, and currently sit at the top of the table due to their net run rate of +0.561, however, with the Gujarat Titans nipping at their heels, it could possibly be a short lived stint. The Royals can boast six wins from their eight games, with the defeats handed to them by the Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets, and the Gujarat Titans by 37 runs.

The Royals have certainly shown that they were not keen to continue with their dismal performances, the last three of which has seen them place 7th, 8th, and 7th in the Group Stage. This year, they absolutely have their eyes on the final and seem like a formidable team to go up against.

Match 39 saw the Royals beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 29 runs with the final score 144/8 to 115. They managed to defend the lowest total of the tournament to date, but still came out with a comfortable win. This is the third match on the trot where they have managed to defend their total, a position most other franchises we are sure would have concerns about. Additionally, coming off the back of two consecutive 200+ scores, sailing to victory with 144 was surely a surprise.

The Royals got off to a slow start with Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal only facing 16 balls between them while scoring 15 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin scored 17 runs off 8 balls, while skipper Sanju Samson scored 27 off 21 balls. The Player of the Match was awarded to Riyan Parag for his strong performance. He guided the Royals over the finish like after 15 overs with his explosive batting in which he crept over the half century mark (56) not out off 31 balls.

The bowlers mounted the pressure for the Challengers by managing to take consistent wickets. Prasidh Krishna took two wickets (one of Kohli) while conceding 23 runs, Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets while only conceding 17 runs, and Kuldeep Sen got back to back wickets totalling four by the end of his 3.3 overs spell. Ashwin was the most economical bowler (4.25) while Daryl Mitchell was the most expensive (7.00) in his one over spell in which he conceded 7 runs.

We have our eyes on Ashwin for top bowler, so be sure to check out the leading IPL betting sites to see what odds they are offering for this market.

Mumbai Indians Team Preview

Things couldn’t be going any worse for the Mumbai Indians. If you had made an IPL prediction based on their history of being five-time champions, we can’t imagine this disappointment you must feel. The Indians currently have eight losses from eight matches. This is an incredibly dismal start to the IPL season, in fact, it’s one of the worst in the history of the tournament. Only teams who have reached 14 points are able to qualify for the playoffs. Even if the Indians had a miracle and won their remaining six games, they would fall one hurdle too short and leave the tournament with 12 points.

Their incredibly slim chance to make the playoffs was crushed by the Lucknow Super Giants in in Match 37 with an emphatic 36 run win. Despite a decent start from Rohit Sharma scoring 39 runs from 31 balls, Ishan Kishan struggled. The Indians broke the bank to buy Kishan in this year’s mega auction and takes the place in history as one of the most expensive players at Rs 15.25 crore. Kishan scored 8 runs from 20 balls for a strike rate of 40.00. Despite a strong start to this IPL season (81, 54), things went downhill with scores barely breaking 30 (14, 26, 3, 13, 0, 8).

The loss of four wickets after the Powerplay completely halted any momentum the Indians were hoping to build, however, Tilak Varma provided a glimmer of hope scoring 38 runs in 27 balls before he was dismissed. Dewald Brevis, Keiron Pollard, and Daniel Sams all finished with strike rates lower than 100 (60, 95, and 42.86 respectively). Suryakumar Yadav went run-for-run (7 off 7 balls).

All in all, it was a disappointing show from the batters. They failed to form any partnerships which continues to be one of their biggest issues. On the flip side, the bowlers did a fairly reasonable job. Hrithik Shokeen and Keiron Pollard were the most economical after their two overs spell (5.50 and 4.00 respectively). Pollard also managed to take two wickets (2/8). Riley Meredith also took two while conceding 40 runs, while Daniel Sams and Jasprit Bumrah both took one and conceded 40 runs and 31 runs respectively.

Head coach for the Indians Mahela Jayawardene is keen review the batsman and potentially make some changes to the playing XI, however Sharma has stated after the Lucknow defeat that ‘they are not trying to make any changes’ in an attempt to give players enough time to settle in.

Will they be able to snatch the bragging rights away from the Royals, or are they heading for an early exit? Either way, it will surely be another interesting match to watch. If you are keen to get a little closer to the action, why not consider IPL betting? Varma would be our choice for top batsman as he as consistently been scoring well.

Toss Prediction

So far, it’s only the Gujarat Titans that have decided to break the current trend of the IPL 2022. Every other captain to have won the toss has decided to bat in the second innings. This is most likely in an attempt to use any dew forming during the evening matches to their advantage. When there is moisture on the cricket ball, it can affect the bowler’s grip. As the tournament progresses, more and more teams are successfully defending their totals, showing that it is possible to overcome the slight disadvantage that this position could bring.

The Rajasthan Royals have only won the toss once and elected to field first, while the Mumbai Indians elected to field the four times they have won the toss. So, for our toss prediction, we think both teams will stick to their previous decisions and not rock the boat too much.

Pitch Conditions

The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is the second largest cricket ground in India. It is a track both offering something for both the batsmen and bowlers. Red soil is the most common material used for the outfields in India, however it can easily become heavy and sluggish when it rains. At the DY Patil Stadium, you will find the outfield is sand-based. This allows the rainwater to drain faster, which helps to minimise the interruption of rain showers. Interestingly, the ground is made from imported clay (250 tons!) from South Africa to ensure a bouncy pitch. Defending a score in the ballpark of 180-190 should feel fairly comfortable here.

The ‘real-feel’ temperature will be in the low 40’s (C) with an estimated humidity level of 66%. This could be an indication of more dew forming in the warm evening.