Kolkata : Mumbai Indians (MI) clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 13th match of the Indian Premier League 2026 season on April 7 at 7:30 PM at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, the second home ground of RR. Both teams will play their third match of the season tonight.
RR started their campaign this season with positive momentum, securing back-to-back wins in their first two matches. In the opening match, RR showcased dominance with a win over CSK at this ground. In the second match against GT, RR won by 6 runs, holding their nerve in a tense finish to grab victory in a tightly contested match. The RR team, led by captain Riyan Parag, looks stronger and well-balanced this season. Their batting is powerful, led by the young opening duo of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both in outstanding form. Dhruv Jurel has handled the middle order well, along with Shimron Hetmyer. The bowling unit is strengthened by Ravi Bishnoi, who delivered a fantastic performance with 4 wickets in 4 overs for 41 runs in the last match, along with Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja in the powerplay. Tushar Deshpande has been effective in the death overs, turning the result in RR’s favour in the last match. Captain Parag has also done a great job in choosing the right bowlers in crucial moments.
On the other hand, five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) started their campaign this season by breaking the curse of not winning their opening match for 13 years in Indian Premier League history. They finally achieved this with a dominating win against KKR. However, in the second match, they lost by six wickets against DC in Delhi. In the last match, captain Hardik Pandya was unavailable due to illness. T20 World Cup 2026 winning captain Suryakumar Yadav stepped in to lead the side, and MI reshuffled the team combination. Due to this restructuring, MI looked slightly unsettled and struggled to find balance, especially in their bowling lineup. Deepak Chahar came in as Hardik’s replacement, while Corbin Bosch and Shardul Thakur conceded too many runs . Mitchell Santner did a good job with spin, and Jasprit Bumrah maintained an excellent economy rate (5.25), although he did not pick up wickets. In batting, MI lost early wickets, and the absence of an all-rounder was clearly felt. In Hardik Pandya’s absence, MI’s bowling combination lacked balance. However, Hardik has since rejoined training and is expected to return for today’s match. MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey confirmed his availability in the pre-match press conference on April 6, 2026: “Yes, he will be available for the game. He hit the nets for a couple of hours yesterday. He is fit and fine. He was not injured, just unwell,” Mhambrey said. His return will boost the team and help restore balance in the bowling lineup.
Both teams have faced each other 30 times in the IPL, with MI winning 16 matches and RR winning 14.
The squad of Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Danish Malewar, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Mohammad Izhar, Allah Ghazanfar, Jasprit Bumrah.
Mumbai Indians predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sherfane +-Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande.
RR Squad: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals predicted XI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande
The weather in Guwahati is expected to bring some concern. There is a strong chance of rain during the day with possible thunderstorms, although conditions are expected to improve slightly by evening. Temperatures will range between 21°C and 31°C. The match is likely to go ahead, but there remains a risk of brief rain interruptions or delays later in the night. Weather could be a key factor, especially after yesterday’s match (KKR vs PBKS) was affected. The pitch at Barsapara Cricket Stadium is expected to be balanced but slightly better for batting as the match progresses. Early on, there could be assistance for fast bowlers due to moisture and swing, especially under cloudy conditions. However, the pitch tends to settle later, making batting easier in the second innings. Teams usually prefer chasing here. Notably, CSK were bowled out for 127 on this surface in the previous match. The clash between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will be exciting. It will be interesting to see whether RR can carry forward their momentum or if MI can make a strong comeback after their recent loss.
