The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in its second week and we have already witnessed some individual brilliance. In Today’s match, title contender Mumbai Indians will take in the ‘dark horse’ Rajasthan Royals. Both the teams have two wins against their name. While Mumbai have lost one match; Rajasthan have still not tested the bitterness of a defeat.

Despite that, Mumbai will go into the match with an edge over Rajasthan and the mood in the camp will be good after their amazing last ball win over the Deccan Chargers. The Mumbai team will know that they are no way near their best and will have to play better cricket if they want to keep winning.

Rajasthan on the other hand will be utilizing every bit of talent their players have got. They do have some world class performers in their team, but as always Rajasthan are depending very highly on their domestic players and they have not disappointed the team management so far.

Both the teams will go into the match with high hopes and one thing is for sure that the crowd is in for a treat because both the teams have some very good players in their side.

Mumbai Indians:

Rohit Sharma: He was the star in their last ball win against the Chargers. Rohit hit a six on the last ball to give Mumbai a much needed win. He will once again be the back-bone of the team as it is not sure if Sachin Tendulkar would be playing today or not. Sharma controlled the innings beautifully in the last match and when quick runs were needed, he destroyed the Chargers attack. He is looking in great touch and is a great player to watch when in full-form.

Dinesh Karthik: Karthik hasn’t got much opportunity to show his class so far. Karthik is a very good striker and can play very well under pressure. He is quite innovative in the later part of his innings and is very much able to provide the late flair for his team which can make a difference in a match. He is quite good to watch and the Mumbai crowd will be hoping for him to get going.

Munaf Patel: His on-field behaviour is under scrutiny, but the way he bowled against the chargers was absolutely superb. Munaf is a very talented bowler and has shown his worth at the international level time and again. He bowls consistently at a good length and can bowl some good Yorkers in the death overs. Munaf will once again be expected to perform at the level, he himself has set.

Lasith Malinga: Malinga as always is in contention for the purple cap. He has been bowling well and has already shown that if a team has to beat Mumbai than they will have to go past his deadly Yorkers. He is a bowler who rarely has an off-day and he has not had that so far in the tournament. He will once again lead the Mumbai’s bowling unit and with the crowd behind his back, he will be a player to watch out for.

Rajasthan Royals:

Owais Shah: Shah is a very efficient cricketer and played a good innings against KKR. Shah is a very talented cricketer and is considered to be unlucky not to have played more matches for his national team. He can hit a bowl a long distance and is a very good finisher. Shah is very good against both fast and spin bowling, and is a very innovative batsman.

Ashok Menaria: He is one of the leading domestic run-getters in the recent time and has already made a mark in this years’ IPL. His captain, Rahul Dravid, believes that he is a player to watch out for and in the last match Menaria showed why he has got the respect of his captain. Menaria is a good accumulator of runs and can play big shots when needed.

Kevon Cooper: Cooper is also in the race for the purple cap and is tied with Lasith Malinga on the top position. Cooper bowled the penultimate over in the Royals’ win over the KKR’s and it was his over that ensured that the Royals’ will get the full points from that match. Cooper has some very good slower-deliveries and is destructive with the bat as well. The Mumbai Indians will know that this young West Indian is capable of and will be careful against this skilled player.

Amit Singh: In the last match, he got two wickets in two balls. He dismissed Kallis and Gambhir in consecutive deliveries and was the main reason behind Rajasthan’s success. He is a very efficient bowler and has been performing well from the past two seasons. Amit Singh bowls at a very awkward length and never gives batmen much opportunity to hit. He will take the new ball for the Royals’ and will be looking to repeat his feat.

By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News