MI vs RR, IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians have made a big change to their playing XI ahead of their final league match of IPL 2026 as they face the Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on May 24, Sunday. Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah has not been named in the XI, making it a big news from their camp, albeit it being a dead-rubber game for the five-time champions.
MI vs RR, IPL 2026: Why is Jasprit Bumrah not playing at the Wankhede Stadium against the Rajasthan Royals?
At the toss, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya announced that the Ahmedabad-born cricketer has been rested, with Deepak Chahar coming in. However, there seems to be no injury to him. Bumrah mysteriously has not been at his best, managing only four wickets in 13 games, averaging a woeful 102.50, including going wicketless in the first four matches of the season. Despite the right-arm speedster coming off a tremendous performance in the T20 World Cup 2026, Bumrah looked off colour and it has been one of the reasons behind their disappointing performance in the season.
The Royals have affected three changes to their XI as regular captain Riyan Parag has returned along with Nandre Burger and Ravindra Jadeja.
MI vs RR, IPL 2026: What happened the last time the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians faced one another?
Meanwhile, it is also the second time in the season that the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals are facing one another. The clash between the two sides at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati was a rain-curtailed game, with only 11 overs per side. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got the Royals off to a thunderous start with an 80-run opening stand in the first five overs. Jaiswal was the standout batter for the Royals as he belted 77 off the 32 deliveries faced, lifting their side to 150/3 in 11 overs. In response, the five-time champions managed only 123.
For the Royals, the playoffs equation is simple and as they will qualify should they beat the Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
