Mumbai Indians host Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, in the second of two Indian Premier League (IPL) games scheduled for the day.

The hosts are second in the table with 20 points and 10 wins from 14 games and have guaranteed progression to the knock-out rounds. The Royals, meanwhile, are third with as many points and wins as today's hosts but they trail by a marginally inferior Net Run Rate.

The reverse fixture, in Jaipur, finished in emphatically in favour of the 2008 champions, with Mumbai crumbling to 92 all out in response to Rajasthan's 179/3.

Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
Shaun Roy-IPL-SPORTZPICS

Where to Watch Live

Play starts at 3.30pm BST. Live coverage is on ITV 4 and ITV 4 HD. Text updates are available on ESPN Cricinfo.

Overview

Mumbai confirmed their place in the knock-out stages with a seven wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match. Rohit Sharma's side chased down an imposing 178/3 with three balls remaining and had Kieron Pollard's monstrous innings of 66 off 27 balls to thank for the win; the West Indian remained unbeaten.

Mumbai's batsmen - Dwayne Smith, Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Karthik and Sharma - all played a part in the win but they will want improved performances from their bowlers, particularly in the knock-out rounds. Mitchell Johnson had a poor day with the ball; the Australian conceded 43 from his four overs. Only Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga contained the batsmen, with the Indian-Sri Lankan duo combining for 2/45 from seven overs.

The peculiar nature of the IPL's knock-out rounds make it very advantageous to finish in the top two, although a top four finish will guarantee progress. Teams placed first and second play in a knock-out tie called Qualifier 1, while those placed third and fourth play the Eliminator.

The winner of Qualifier 1 progresses directly to the final on 26 May, while the loser plays the winner of the Eliminator for a place at Eden Gardens. A top two finish, therefore, means a team potentially plays one game less and has a full five days rest before the final.

Rajasthan will be well aware of that advantage and will be keen to displace Mumbai from second in the table. The Royals, captained by former Indian Test batsman Rahul Dravid, have re-established themselves as IPL heavyweights this season, with an impressive record so far. And they come into this game in the best possible mood, with a confident win over two-time champions Chennai Super Kings.

Shane Watson [Rajasthan Royals]
Reuters

The Royals produced a brilliant comeback with the ball to restrict MS Dhoni's big hitters to 141/4, after Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay put on 83 for the first wicket. Kevon Cooper picked up 2/32 but it was tight bowling from James Faulkner, Shane Watson, Stuart Binny and Vikramjit Malik - 1/82 from 14 overs - that did the trick.

CSK were almost as superb with the ball, with Chris Morris, Jason Holder and Mohit Sharma reducing their hosts to 45/4. Australian all-rounder Watson then struck a fantastic 70 off 34 balls and a 93-run fifth wicket stand with Binny (41 not out off 23 balls) ensured the win.

Both sides are in superb form, with four wins on the trot each and strong Net Run Rates.

Team Form

Mumbai Indians

  • Last Five (most recent first): W W W W L
  • Last Match: Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets

Rajasthan Royals

  • Last Five (most recent first): W W W W L
  • Last Match: Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets