For Rajasthan Royals, this opening assessment has been a satisfying exercise, having won its first two games. The latest of those triumphs saw the side outlast Gujarat Titans by six runs in a high-scoring thriller, with pacer Tushar Deshpande delivering a nerveless final over.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Royals will have their cricketing faculties further examined as they host the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.<\/p>\n
The opening salvo, though, hasn\u2019t been a satisfactory one for MI. After bettering Kolkata Knight Riders in its first game, the five-time champion stumbled against Delhi Capitals in the second.<\/p>\n
The much-vaunted MI batting lineup fell flat against the Capitals, as it eked out a below-par total of 162, which was overhauled with ease.<\/p>\n
MI sorely missed the presence of skipper Hardik Pandya, who sat out of the game due to illness. The Indian all-rounder\u2019s absence had a cascading effect on both the batting and bowling setups.<\/p>\n
Luckily for MI, Pandya has recovered and will return to lead the side, as confirmed by bowling coach Paras Mhambrey<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Riyan Parag has enjoyed a fruitful start to his stint as the Royals\u2019 full-time captain. The 24-year-old\u2019s on-field calls, particularly with bowling choices, have been sharp and game-clinching.<\/p>\n At Parag\u2019s disposal is a bowling attack that covers most bases. In Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, he has a left-right express pace combo which blew away Chennai Super Kings in the side\u2019s first match, here in Guwahati. Backing them up will be the battle-hardened medium pace duo of Sandeep Sharma and Deshpande.<\/p>\n