IPL 2020: Top three picks for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians

After the loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the chances of Rajasthan Royals’ qualifying for playoffs have started to diminish.  Rajasthan Royals lost the game in which they had the momentum for most of the game. Despite reducing SRH for 16 for the loss of two wickets, Sunrisers Hyderabad were able to reach the target because of two seasons. One, the great partnership between Manish Pandey and  Vijay Shankar. The second reason is the lax and failure of other bowlers to impose themselves on the opposition. The lack of consistency from the bowlers barring Jofra Archer hurt the chances of RR to register the victory.

Tonight, we #HallaBol together. Come on, Royals! 💗#RRvMI | #RoyalsFamily | #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/7h1uZ8Exeh

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 25, 2020

With the mathematical possibility in their favor, Rajasthan Royals will not only look to qualify for the playoffs but also will try to put a dominant performance against Mumbai Indians. The qualification scenario might boil down to the run rate and Rajasthan Royals will look to make the most of it. Before they rely on other results, Rajasthan Royals have to win their all games.

It is a daunting ask for a team like Rajasthan Royals who have faltered in every game. However, luck will always favor the bold and it is time for the Royals to step up. Here are the top three picks for Rajasthan Royals who can prove to be detrimental against Mumbai Indians at Sheikh Zayed Stadium:

#1) Jos Buttler

The English wicket-keeper batsman has not come to the party in the ongoing edition of the league after arriving late to the league. Jos Buttler has been a great servant for the side in the previous seasons but has failed to live-up the expectations in 2020. He has just 271 runs in 10 games and the team requires him to perform in this and upcoming games of the season.

In the previous game against Mumbai Indians, Jos Buttler scored a swash-buckling 70 from 44 deliveries which almost took the game from the opposition. His dismissal led to the loss of Rajasthan Royals but will be one of the top three picks for Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.

#2) Shreyas Gopal

The Karnataka leggie has been ineffective in the ongoing edition of the league as he has failed to remove the wickets in the middle overs despite applying the brakes on the run rate. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad too, though he contained Manish Pandey to go against him. However, the Rajasthan Royals ended up losing the game.

Against the star-studded batting line-up of Mumbai Indians, Shreyas Gopal has a big role to play alongside Jofra Archer in bowling. He will be one of the top three picks for Rajasthan Royals because of his record against Mumbai Indians in the past. In the previous game against Mumbai Indians, he picked two wickets at an economy of 7. Steve Smith will hope for a similar kind of performance from the player on Sunday.

#3) Riyan Parag

Though the player has played nine games in the league, Riyan Parag has taken the chances to prove himself. He produced a great performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the reverse fixture at the time when RR were in shambles. His 42 not out took his team over the line and performed the Bihu dance on the pitch.

In the previous game against the Hyderabad outfit, Riyan Parag provided the late push to the side. He scored 20 runs from 12 deliveries and the cameo helped the side to put up a fighting total. Riyan Parag will be one of the top three picks for struggling Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.