IPL 2021: Ishan Kishan returns as Mumbai Indians opt to bowl against Rajasthan Royals

MI wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan (Source: Twitter)

Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl first against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Speaking at the toss, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma said, "We are going to bowl first. We have tried everything in this UAE leg. The wicket doesn't change too much, so we thought of having a target in front of us when we bat. We know where we stand at the moment. Every individual knows what to do. It's about coming here and executing."

"We need to read situations, not to worry about the table, if we play well the results will take care of itself. Two changes: Ishan comes back for de Kock and Neesham from Krunal. We looked at how the game is being played here. The pacers have done well with the slower balls," he added.

Here's your #MumbaiIndians Playing XI against the Royals [?]#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPL2021 #RRvMI @SamsungIndia pic.twitter.com/kbFRb1xIEX — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 5, 2021

On the other hand, the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals also made two change -- bringing in Shreyas Gopal and Kuldip Yadav in place of Mayank Markande and Akash Singh for this important clash.

"We face different challenges in each game. We have a decent combination which can suit this wicket. Looking forward to an exciting game. We have to keep it simple, will have to trust ourselves," said Samson at the toss.

Two changes to the Royals XI, as Kuldip Yadav makes his debut in Sharjah tonight! #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #RRvMI | @Dream11 pic.twitter.com/cUpMTww6ns — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) October 5, 2021

Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals are sitting at 10 points from 12 games with only the difference of the net run rate. The two sides are going to fight it out to take one step closer to standing a chance for a fourth-place finish.

Rajasthan Royals' previous meeting with Mumbai Indians was a forgettable one for them with Rohit Sharma's team registering a seven-wicket victory in the first half of IPL 2021.

Mumbai Indians playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jayant Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

Rajasthan Royals playing XI: Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Shivam Dube, Glenn Phillips, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Shreyas Gopal, Kuldip Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya