Mumbai: Mumbai Indians (MI) won the toss and opted to bowl first against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their last Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 group-stage match, on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Notably, Jasprit Bumrah sits out the clash as the Mumbai Indians have rested the speedster.
MI captain Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first, saying the pitch looks good and should improve in the evening. Pandya added that MI aim to finish their difficult season on a positive note. He also confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is resting, while Deepak Chahar is included in the playing 11.
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"We will bowl first. It looks like a good track and it tends to get better in the evening. It's a very special day. We just want to play our best and make them enjoy their time. It looks hard and it should get better once the sun goes down. This game means a lot for the team; we want to give our best shot. We've had a tough season and want to finish on a high. Jassi is resting and Deepak is in," Pandya said at the toss presentation.
RR captain Riyan Parag said they would have also preferred to bowl first, adding that this could be their last match of the tournament and they want to give it their best shot. He stressed that a win would secure qualification without relying on other results. Parag also confirmed three changes in the playing 11, with Nandre Burger, Ravindra Jadeja, and himself coming into the side.
"We would have bowled first as well. We know this could be the last game of the tournament and we want to give it our best shot. Hopefully, we'll maximise our chances and give our best shot. If we win, we qualify and won't need any help from the others. Three changes - Nandre comes in, so does Jadeja and me," Parag said.
While any result for the Mumbai Indians will not make a difference in their IPL 2026 campaign as they are already eliminated, it is a must-win encounter for the Rajasthan Royals. The Royals still have control over their playoff fate, and a win will confirm their place in the playoffs.
MI vs RR playing 11s
RR Impact subs: Ravindra Jadeja, Sushant Mishra, Aman Rao Perala, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande.
Mumbai Indians playing 11: Ryan Rickelton(w), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma.
MI Impact Subs: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Rawat, Robin Minz, Krish Bhagat, Trent Boult.
