Mumbai: Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians will take on Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals in match 51 of the second phase of the UAE leg of the IPL here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
A 'do or die' game for both the teams as it will be a race for qualifying in the top four and today's winner will gain 12 points and will have a chance to make it to the knockout round. Both teams are positioned number 6th and 7th respectively with 10 points each in the points table and having lost three of the last five games.
The Sanju Samson-led side would be looking confident after their massive win against CSK in the last game while Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have lost their last game to Delhi Capitals. The out or form MI has to win their remaining two games with a heavy margin if they are to qualify.
As the two lower-ranked teams battle to remain in the tournament, here is a list of the players in today's match to watch out for:
Shivam Dube: The former RCB all-rounder Shivam Dube is a perfect middle-order batsman to change the momentum of the game. He played his first match against CSK in the second phase of the UAE leg for Rajasthan Royals and struck boundaries all around the park. A match-winning unbeaten 64 off 42 balls against CSK helped RR to gain victory over the top-tiered team.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: The left-handed opener is proving to be a winner of RR and has been in the news for his compelling abilities and quick knocks. In his last game against CSK, Jaiswal hit 50 off just 19 balls to tremble the CSK bowling and chase down a massive total of 190. This is now the second-fastest fifty by an uncapped player in the IPL.
Glen Phillips: The right-handed New Zealand all-rounder made his debut in the IPL against CSK while playing for Rajasthan. Although not much has been known of him, he has had a wonderful season in the previous T20 tournaments. The 24-year-old has gathered 2988 runs at 32.1 with a strike rate of 142 in 103 T20 games. This year, he has scored 867 runs at 36.12 at a strike rate of 150.52 in 29 T20 games.
Trent Boult: MI bowlers have to play a very important role in today's crucial match against RR. MI's batting has not been top-class like we have seen in the previous seasons of the IPL and their bowlers have had a great season. The left-handed pacer is an experienced player with a capacity for speed and swing and can do a lot of damage with the new ball. He has taken 12 wickets in 12 games but he can do much more.
Kieron Pollard: The right-handed West Indian has been a key player for the Mumbai Indians and carries a lot of experience. He has lift MI from the bottom to becoming a champion. His role would be very important in today's game if MI wants to survive in the tournament. Pollard mark the world record after he took 300 T20 wickets becoming the only player to have hit over 10000 runs and 3000 wickets in overall T20 tournaments. He has hit 232 runs in 12 games with a strike rate of 152 in this season of the IPL.
The match will commence at 7:30 PM here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
