📋 RR vs MI Match Details
- Match - IPL 2026, Match 13 — RR vs MI
- Date & Time - Tuesday, April 7, 2026 · 7:30 PM IST
- Venue - ACA Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
- Broadcast - Star Sports Network (TV) · JioHotstar (Live Stream)
- Toss - 7:00 PM IST
Mumbai Indians, conversely, started their season by breaking their decade-long "opening match" jinx with a win over KKR but stumbled in their second outing against Delhi Capitals. With rumors of Hardik Pandya’s return to the XI after missing the last game, the five-time champions will be desperate to halt Rajasthan's momentum and climb the ladder.
RR vs MI Head-to-Head Record
The rivalry between these two franchises has been one of the most evenly contested in IPL history, which makes their head-to-head numbers all the more fascinating. Across 31 T20 encounters, Mumbai Indians hold a narrow edge with 16 victories to Rajasthan's 14. But numbers over 17 years don't always tell you much about what's happening right now.| Metric | RR | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Matches | 31 | 31 |
| Wins | 14 | 16 |
| Wins (last 5 meetings) | 3 | 2 |
| Away record since 2023 | — | 9 wins from 24 |
| IPL 2026 record | W-W (2) | W-L (2) |
Pitch Report: ACA Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati
The Barsapara turf has traditionally been a paradise for batters, but recent trends suggest a more balanced contest. While the ball comes onto the bat well, spinners are expected to play a crucial role today, finding both turn and extra bounce. In the last five matches at this venue, only one team has successfully defended a total, suggesting that the captain winning the toss will likely opt to bowl first.Guwahati Weather Update: Will Rain Interrupt?
After the previous night's washout in Kolkata, all eyes are on the Guwahati sky.- Current Conditions: Daytime temperatures are hovering around 28°C with 51% humidity.
- Match Time Forecast: The evening is expected to be partly cloudy with a temperature of approximately 21°C.
- Rain Probability: While there is a 65% chance of light rain during the afternoon (1 PM to 3 PM), the probability drops significantly to just 10-14% during match hours (7 PM to 11 PM). Fans can expect a full game, though the high humidity (85%) might make things "heavy" for the players and could lead to significant dew later in the night.
RR vs MI Predicted Playing XIs
Hardik Pandya is expected to return to MI's lineup after missing the Delhi Capitals game due to a brief fever. His return is significant — not just as a match-winner with bat and ball, but because his absence in the previous game left a visible gap in the team's tactical flexibility. Mitchell Santner's inclusion also gives MI a proper spin option and allows them to field three Indian seamers alongside Trent Boult.Rajasthan, meanwhile, have no reason to tinker with a combination that has worked to perfection. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 14-year-old phenomenon who stunned everyone by smashing the third-fastest half-century in IPL history in his debut match, followed that up with a brisk 31 off 18 balls against Gujarat Titans. Pair that with Yashasvi Jaiswal's consistency at the top — he's contributed with scores of 38 and a half-century already — and Rajasthan's batting machine looks very well-oiled.
Rajasthan Royals Playing XIs
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal. (Impact Player: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi)Mumbai Indians XIs
Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal. (Impact Player: Naman Dhir)RR vs MI - Key Battles to Watch
Jofra Archer vs. Rohit Sharma
There's a delicious subplot to this encounter — Archer faces his former franchise for the first time since rejoining the Royals. He is fresh, hostile, and bowling with the kind of rhythm that makes even the most seasoned batters uneasy. Rohit, who looked imperious against KKR and appears to have rediscovered his T20 touch at 38, will be his most prominent early test. The outcome of this duel in the first three overs could set the tempo for the whole innings.Jasprit Bumrah vs. RR's Opening Pair
Bumrah remains the great equaliser on any surface, flat or otherwise. Facing the Jaiswal-Sooryavanshi opening combination — arguably the most exciting top of the order in this year's tournament — will be the ultimate test of whether the young Sooryavanshi's confidence is real or merely a product of easier bowling attacks. If Bumrah gets through those two cheaply, MI are right back in the game regardless of the total they've set.Sandeep Sharma vs. Rohit Sharma
It's one of those under-the-radar IPL rivalries that stats nerds quietly obsess over. Sandeep's record against Rohit across their history makes the RR seamer one of the more dangerous operators whenever these two teams meet. The Guwahati pitch, which offers that early assistance to swing bowlers, could make this battle even more lethal.RR vs MI Match Outlook & Analysis
Let's be honest about what this match really is: a stress test for Mumbai Indians. On paper, they have the squad that most analysts would back to lift the trophy in May. Rohit, Suryakumar, Tilak Varma, Bumrah, Boult — it reads like a fantasy cricket captain's dream. But paper squads don't win cricket matches, and right now Rajasthan Royals are playing a brand of cricket that feels almost effortlessly effective.The toss is going to matter here. Every team that has come to Guwahati with a shred of tactical awareness has opted to bowl first, and the numbers back that instinct emphatically. Whoever wins the toss will almost certainly field — and that sets up a fascinating second-innings chase scenario where the dew either helps or hinders depending on which side of that calculation you're on.
If Mumbai bat first, they need to post at least 195 to feel safe — and they have the firepower to do it, especially on a ground where the boundaries feel reachable from the moment the bat makes contact. If Rajasthan bat first, their batting depth down to Jadeja and Ferreira means they rarely leave runs on the field.
The edge, ultimately, belongs to the home side. Rajasthan know this pitch. They made 210 here just recently, and their bowling combination of Archer, Burger, Jadeja, and Sandeep Sharma is suited to both the overcast conditions and the spin-friendly nature of the surface. Mumbai's away record — nine wins from 24 games since 2023 — is the number that keeps nagging at the back of every MI fan's mind.