Mumbai Indians Opt to Bowl First Against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Clash

Mumbai Indians Choose to Bowl First in Rain-Shortened Match

In the 13th match of the IPL 2026 season held at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, the Mumbai Indians (MI) won the toss and decided to bowl first against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday. Due to rain, the match has been shortened to 11 overs per side, with the powerplay set at 3.2 overs.

MI captain Hardik Pandya explained the decision to bowl first, citing the wet conditions and the need for clarity on the target. He noted that it’s early in the season and emphasized the importance of improvement, confirming the return of himself and Trent Boult to the team.

“We are opting to bowl first. Given the rain, it’s wise to bat second as it helps gauge the target. This has been on our minds,” Pandya stated during the toss.

Reflecting on MI's previous match loss, Pandya acknowledged that early tournament mistakes are common and reiterated the team's commitment to refining their strategies.

“It’s just the beginning of the season, and mistakes are part of the game. Long tournaments like this mean you can’t win or lose the IPL in the first few weeks. We discussed what improvements we need to make and are focused on executing our plans for this match,” he added.

The Rajasthan Royals have started their season strongly, winning both of their initial matches and looking to maintain that momentum in their third game.

On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians began their campaign with a victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders but suffered a defeat against the Delhi Capitals in their second outing. They are eager to regain their winning form in this match.

Playing XI for RR vs MI:

Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma.

Impact substitutes for Rajasthan Royals: Ravi Singh, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Shubham Dubey.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, AM Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.

Impact substitutes for Mumbai Indians: Sherfane Rutherford, Corbin Bosch, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar.