Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

RR vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: IPL 2022 Match 44 | RR vs MI Dream11 Prediction Today | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians Key Players | DY Patil Pitch Report

Rajasthan Royals are gunning for four straight wins. Mumbai Indians are staring 0-9 in the face. If matches were decided by form, we may just skip this match and award Royals the points.

However, the IPL can offer its fair share of surprises. And MI will be hoping today is one of those days. While hopes of the playoffs are long gone, there is the motivation of getting a long-awaited victory, as a defeat here will see further questions as to whether Rohit’s team could lose all 14 matches. Absolutely unthinkable.

It won’t be easy, though. The Royals are playing brilliant cricket, winning six of their eight matches to date. They have lost seven tosses along the way too, showcasing their ability to defend totals courtesy mainly of an excellent spin duo. And, when you add the promising Kuldeep Sen in the pace department, the Royals will be eyeing further momentum as the playoffs edge closer.

And this one is special for the Royals. They will honour the late, great Shane Warne, who led the franchise to the title in 2008.

Earlier this season, the Royals were too strong for Mumbai. Jos Buttler scored one of his three centuries, while Yuzvendra Chahal delivered one of his match-turning spells. Both will be aiming for more of the same, with support from other in-form players.

Possible Playing 11

Riyan Parag repaid the faith put in him by the Royals’ management with a match-winning performance vs RCB. Before the season, captain Sanju Samson said this could be Parag’s breakthrough season, and if he can finish well again, the Royals will be tough to beat.

One spot the Royals could look at is the overseas all-rounder spot.

Rajasthan Royals: 1. Jos Buttler, 2. Devdutt Padikkal, 3. Sanju Samson (c & wk), 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Daryl Mitchell/Jimmy Neesham, 6. Riyan Parag, 7. R Ashwin, 8. Trent Boult, 9. Prasidh Krishna, 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. Kuldeep Sen

Mumbai could look at bringing in some youngsters as they are out of the playoffs race.

Mumbai Indians: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Ishan Kishan (wk), 3. Dewald Brevis, 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Kieron Pollard, 7. Daniel Sams, 8. Jaydev Unadkat, 9. Hrithik Shokeen, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Riley Meredith

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Rajasthan Royals:

• Jos Buttler struck a 68-ball 100 against MI on this very ground earlier in IPL 2022. He has smashed 400 runs in six innings vs MI since 2018 at an average of 80.00 and strike rate of 161.29. His last five scores against MI read: 100, 41, 70, 89 and 94*.
• Sanju Samson has scored the most runs in RR-MI matches. The RR skipper has struck 560 runs in 17 innings at an average of 35.00 and strike rate of 146.08, including a 21-ball 30 earlier this season. However, can he carry on from a start this time? Ian Bishop, who said Samson is “wasting good form”, believes he must step up further.
• Samson is averaging 53 and striking at 200 vs spin in the IPL this season. However, MI have a seam predominant attack, and Samson’s average drops to 24 vs pace in IPL 2022 (SR 143).
• Shimron Hetmyer smashed a 14-ball 35 against MI earlier this season. 21 of them came off a single Pollard over. While Pollard is unlikely to bowl again at this stage, Hetmyer is capable of taking apart a struggling MI attack at the death. He is striking at 246.77 between overs 16 and 20 in IPL 2022.
• R Ashwin is in magnificent touch. He has taken six wickets in his last three matches, with his latest effort a brilliant spell of 3/17 against RCB. He could be used early against Rohit and Kishan, who both strike at below 100 against him.
• Also, Ashwin dismissed Tilak Varma at a crucial time in the previous meeting between these two teams. In that same game, Yuzvendra Chahal (2/26) turned the match with the crucial scalps of Tim David and Daniel Sams. Chahal, the Purple Cap holder (18 wickets) has 24 wickets vs MI at a strike rate of 15.50.
• Kuldeep Sen was superb against RCB (4/20). Like Umran Malik, Sen can rattle teams with pace, particularly as a middle overs enforcer. In fact, Sen took two wickets in the seventh over against RCB – stage where MI can often struggle.

Mumbai Indians:

• Rohit Sharma averages just 20.15 in 20 innings vs Royals. One feels his best chance to perform is throwing caution to the wind. Similar applies to the struggling Ishan Kishan, who did score 54 vs Royals earlier this season.
• Tilak Varma is MI’s highest run-scorer in IPL 2022 (272 runs, avg. 45.33, SR 140.20). This includes scores of 61 off 33 (vs Royals) and 51* off 43 at the DY Patil Stadium.
• Suryakumar Yadav has strong numbers against the Royals: 8 inns, 308 runs, avg. 44.00, SR 145.28. Also, his last match against LSG (7) was the first time he didn’t cross 30 this season.
• Kieron Pollard, who took 2/8 last game vs LSG, has taken 16 wickets in 15 matches vs RR. With the bat, he has scored 395 runs against them at an average of 24.69 and strike rate 136.21. However, he averages just 15 and 16.6 vs Ashwin and Chahal respectively.
• MI’s best hope of removing Jos Buttler early could be via Jasprit Bumrah. The pacer has dismissed Buttler four times in 55 deliveries in T20s, whilst only conceding 49 runs. He also has figures of 2/49 in 48 balls vs Samson.
• Jaydev Unadkat and Daniel Sams have taken the equal-most wickets for MI this season (6). Murugan Ashwin and Tymal Mills have also taken six, but they haven’t been in the team for the past few matches.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 28, RR 13, MI 14, N/R 1.
• Devdutt Padikkal has scored two half-centuries in four matches vs MI. Bumrah has dismissed him twice, though.
• Jos Buttler has hit the most runs (499), the most 50+ scores (5), the most sixes (32) and the highest individual score (116) in IPL 2022.
• Can Trent Boult rediscover his mojo? Rohit Sharma has been dismissed in the powerplay five times this season, and has got out to left-arm pace 24 times in the IPL at an overall average of 21.9.
• Prasidh Krishna has taken six of his nine wickets in the powerplay.
• Royals’ spinners average 15.7 per wicket this season. This is the best of any team.

DY Patil Pitch Report and Weather

The average first innings total on this ground is just under 170 in the last five fixtures. The team batting first has won three of them, as the agri-spray used on the ground has negated the dew.

RR vs MI Dream11 Prediction 30 April 2022

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson
• Batsmen: Shimron Hetmyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma
• All-rounders: R Ashwin
• Bowlers: Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult

Match Prediction

Rajasthan Royals should win this match.