RR face acid test against mighty MI
17 April 2013 12:45 AM GMT
Rewarded for their team effort and consistency so far in the tournament, it will be a test of character for Rajasthan Royals as they gear up to take on heavyweights Mumbai Indians in their IPL match on Wednesday.
Skipper Rahul Dravid and his men will be playing in their own den and the conditions too would suit them, but relying on external factors would certainly not be enough to see them through against the formidable Mumbai outfit. The visitors’ all-round strength makes them the favourites going into the match. Both Rajasthan and Mumbai have six points each from four outings having won three matches respectively, but the visitors have a better net run rate of +1.150, which have placed them at the top of the table.
While Rajasthan, with a net rate of +0.230, are placed at the third position. Happy with the ‘underdogs’ tag, Rajasthan know it well that the visitors, despite having big stars in their ranks, have never been able to convert the early promise into a title win. They finished runners-up once, losing to Chennai Super Kings in the final 2010.
The lavish spending has ensured that Mumbai have at their disposal greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, with T20 specialists Keiron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Rohit Sharma only adding to the outfit’s strengths.
There are others such as Glen Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayadu and Munaf Patel and they also have a good bench strength. The blazing form of Dinesh Karthik further strengthens MI in Wednesday’s match.
Skipper Rahul Dravid and his men will be playing in their own den and the conditions too would suit them, but relying on external factors would certainly not be enough to see them through against the formidable Mumbai outfit. The visitors’ all-round strength makes them the favourites going into the match. Both Rajasthan and Mumbai have six points each from four outings having won three matches respectively, but the visitors have a better net run rate of +1.150, which have placed them at the top of the table.
While Rajasthan, with a net rate of +0.230, are placed at the third position. Happy with the ‘underdogs’ tag, Rajasthan know it well that the visitors, despite having big stars in their ranks, have never been able to convert the early promise into a title win. They finished runners-up once, losing to Chennai Super Kings in the final 2010.
The lavish spending has ensured that Mumbai have at their disposal greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, with T20 specialists Keiron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Rohit Sharma only adding to the outfit’s strengths.
There are others such as Glen Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayadu and Munaf Patel and they also have a good bench strength. The blazing form of Dinesh Karthik further strengthens MI in Wednesday’s match.
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