Fact Sheet: MI vs RR

Here is a Preview to Game 45 of IPL's Season 2:-

Mumbai Indians:

International players: Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Bravo, JP Duminy, Dilhara Fernando, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Kyle Mills, Mohammad Ashraful, Luke Ronchi,

Rajasthan Royals:

International players: Shane Warne, Tyron Henderson, Ravindra Jadeja, Justin Langer, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Morne Morkel, Munaf Patel, Yusuf Pathan, Graeme Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Mohammad Kaif.

Players who will not be available: Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Mohammad Kaif.

Previous meetings: MI 1, RR 1

Match #27, 2008 – Mumbai – Mumbai Indians won by 7 wickets

Match #53, 2008 – Jaipur – Rajasthan Royals won by 5 wickets

Match #7, 2009 – Durban – No Result (Match abandoned because of rain).

Talking points:

The previous match between these two teams (at Durban on 21 April) got washed off by showers.

We will in all probability miss the much-awaited clash of the tournament – Sachin Tendulkar v Shane Warne. In 29 matches the two have faced off, Warne has only dismissed Tendulkar on four occasions. Warne has in fact admitted that Tendulkar gave him “sleepless nights”. However, this time around, Warne might not be around after injuring his hamstring in the previous match.

The last time these two teams met (at Jaipur), Rajasthan Royals won off the last ball.

Tyron Henderson (currently Rajasthan Royals’ most expensive player) is the most successful bowler in T20s – he has 75 wickets from 63 matches, but he has only played one match in the competition.

Rajasthan have been great in converting tosses to victories – Shane Warne has won 14 tosses and they’ve won 10 off those matches – that’s the best success rate in the IPL.

Graeme Smith will captain the Rajasthan Royals © AFP

Rajasthan Royals have posted the lowest and the highest totals in the IPL – they were bowled out for 58 in their opening fixture against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They subsequently scored 211/4 against the Kings XI Punjab recently.

Rajasthan Royals have been very tidy while bowling in the Power Play – they concede on an average 38 runs in the first six overs – that’s the lowest average among the eight teams in the tournament. The scores of opponents against Rajasthan Royals in the first six overs are: CSK 40/2, DC 58/3, DD 42/3, KKR 38/1, KXIP 38/2, KXIP 29/4, RCB 29/3, RCB 29/3, CSK 37/2 and DC 42/2.

Rajasthan Royals’ Yusuf Pathan holds the record for the fastest 50 in the IPL – he scored it in 21 balls.

Mumbai Indians – by virtue of winning their previous match against the Kings XI Punjab, have won two consecutive matches for the first tie in the tournament.

Mumbai Indians currently have 11 points with three matches in hand and they need to win at least two of those matches to given themselves a chance of making it to the final four – their matches in hand are against Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils.

The decision to send Dwayne Bravo to open the innings in the previous match was an inspired move – although most would agree that Sachin Tendulkar should have opened the innings.