*MI vs RR Match 13 at Guwahati : Match Preview*
The biggest variable tonight isn't form or firepower — it's the toss. Barsapara's notorious dew factor, combined with 80-87% humidity and overcast skies, means the team bowling first holds a structural advantage.
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium pitch is a moisture-sensitive, dew-dominated red-soil surface that transforms dramatically between innings. With afternoon rain forecast again today and heavy dew expected after 8:30 PM, the toss may prove decisive. In the last 6 matches here, 5 times the captain winning the toss has opted to field first.
Ground dimensions are relatively compact: straight boundary approximately 65-74 meters, square boundaries 61-70 meters.
The average first-innings score in last 6 matches here since 2023 has been 166 and 200+ has never been scored so far with the highest total being 199. Both chasing and defending are equal here with 3 wins chasing and 3 wins defending since 2023.
However, it has been observed that after the initial few overs, the pitch settles down as a good batting wicket. Pacers take more wickets here, but spinners are more economical. In recent domestic matches also spinners have been economical. Both teams have quality spinners – Jadeja and Bishnoi for RR and Santner for MI.
Both teams appear to be balanced with their batting and bowling, however, MI have a deeper batting line up and the rajasthan lower middle order is yet to be tested. The RR top order has been in very good form and so has been the MI top order.
*The matchups that will shape this contest*
Jaiswal vs MI's pace battery is the headline clash. Jaiswal averages 42.28 at a strike rate of 177.24 against MI. Both his IPL centuries came vs MI but his other 6 innings against MI, he's been dismissed under 15 five times and has poor record against Boult / Bumrah / Pandya.
Rohit Sharma's record against RR is surprisingly poor: 600 runs in 29 innings at an average of 20.68 with 4 ducks
Bumrah is the key — he has 19 wickets against RR, at just 6.48 economy. Bumrah vs Hetmyer is the most lopsided individual contest in this fixture: Bumrah has dismissed Hetmyer 3 times for only 8 runs.
Ravi Bishnoi vs MI's left-handers could be the middle-overs story. MI field three left-handers in their top six — Rickelton, Tilak Varma, and potentially Rutherford. Bishnoi specifically targets left-handers with his googly from middle-and-leg. Bishnoi also has a very good record against Rohit, dismissing him 3 times in 27 balls.
SKY also has struggled against Jadeja and Bishnoi, having been out 5 times in 77 balls.
Par score for today’s match should be *163-195* if RR bat first and 166-198 if Mumbai bat first.
Mumbai have never played at Guwahati and RR have made it their home so conditions favor Rajasthan here as they have played 6 matches here and know this ground better.
RR have a 3-3 record at this venue.
So, overall this match is about Bumrah and Pandya versus RR top 5 on one hand and Jadeja and Bishnoi versus the MI top 5.
*Rajasthan Royals probable XII:* Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi (Impact Player)
*Mumbai Indians probable XII* : Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult (Impact Player)
Key players for RR – Sooryavanshi, Jurel, Hetmyer and Bishnoi
Key players for MI – Bumrah, Rickelton and Pandya