Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals Preview & Tips - Rajasthan tipped to book their IPL playoff spot

Rajasthan Royals can secure their place in the IPL playoffs with a win in their 14th and final group stage game. 

Mumbai Indians' form is difficult to trust heading into their final league fixture. Their batting remains dangerous on paper, with Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma capable of hammering any attack into the stands, but the side has repeatedly lost early wickets in the powerplay. 

Their recent defeat to Kolkata again exposed inconsistency in their shot selection under pressure as they crumbled to another defeat. Scoring just 147/8 in their 20 overs, their four-wicket loss saw MI likely finish around 15 runs short of a competitive score. 

Positively, Jasprit Bumrah remains the best death bowler in the tournament, although he has not been at his prolific best this season. The onus will be on ending the tournament on a positive, although their recent run against RR suggests they will struggle, especially if their batting and bowling unit continues to underachieve. 

Rajasthan Royals' season has been built around batting tempo. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel have consistently attacked during the powerplay, while the middle order has shown they can be composed when called upon in close finishes.

The concern is bowling discipline in the tightest games. Rajasthan have occasionally leaked heavily at the death, especially when defending on flatter surfaces. Their recent heavy defeat to Gujarat Titans highlighted how quickly their attack can unravel against elite stroke play. Jofra Archer is one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in the game, but if he gets his line wrong, batters can find luck when using his pace to hit the ball over the boundary. 

The two sides have enjoyed markedly different IPL season, with the Royals the better side. They boast a well-balanced batting and bowling unit and with something to play for on the final day, I back them to edge past MI.