In a rain-shortened 11-overs-a-side match, Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, chose to bowl first against Rajasthan Royals at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. Due to rain earlier in the day, the match was delayed by around two and a half hours from its original 7.30 pm start time. The Power-play has been reduced to 3.2 overs or 20 balls for each team in this match.
The Mumbai Indians made some changes to their lineup, bringing in Hardik Pandya, pacer Trent Boult, and Afghan spinner AM Ghazanfar. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals stuck with the same playing XI from their previous match. Pandya mentioned that in rain-affected games, it is advantageous to bat second, emphasizing the long nature of the IPL tournament where early results do not determine the overall outcome.
Both captains, Pandya and Riyan Parag of Rajasthan Royals, expressed their preference to bowl first if given the choice. Parag noted that while the pitch was expected to be dry, the rain might have altered the playing conditions. The match will feature Mumbai Indians’ XI including Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, with impact substitutes listed for both teams.
