Daijiworld Media Network

Jaipur, Apr 17: A warm welcome to one and all for the match between Rajasthan and Mumbai from Rajasthan. The home team had a scrappy win against Punjab while Mumbai had a dominant showing against Pune. Rahul Dravid will be hoping that his team puts in an improved performance with the bat while Mumbai, with their galaxy of stars, will look to put on yet another good show.

Rajasthan have won the toss and elected to bat.

Ponting: 'We got off to a good start in the nice game. We have to lay a good foundation so that it becomes easy for the rest of the guys. The grass is a bit dry and there will be some movement in the air. Things have gone pretty much to plan and it is a good challenge to lead the side. We were looking to bowl first as the pitch will give some assistance. The big players have played well so far. We do not have any changes in the team.'

Dravid: 'It is a big game in terms of the names present. Mumbai have a galaxy of stars and it is a big challenge. We have gotten some good home support. We have the bowling attack to suit the conditions. We have got some good players and there is a good conversation about the opposition players in the dressing room. The pitch is a bit dry and we would look to put runs on the board. Ankit Chavan replaces Sreesanth. Dishant Yagnik replaces Sanju Samson.'

Teams

Rajasthan (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid(c), Brad Hodge, Kevon Cooper, Stuart Binny, Ankeet Chavan, Dishant Yagnik(w), James Faulkner, Ajit Chandila, Siddharth Trivedi

Mumbai (Playing XI): Ricky Ponting(c), Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Karthik(w), Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Mitchell Johnson, Pragyan Ojha, Lasith Malinga

Preview

Rewarded for their team effort and consistency so far in the tournament, it will be a test of character for Rajasthan as they gear up to take on heavyweights Indians in their Indian T20 League 2013 match.

Skipper Rahul Dravid and his men will be playing in their own den and the conditions too would suit them, but relying on external factors would certainly not be enough to see them through against the formidable Mumbai outfit.

Rajasthan:

Happy with the 'underdogs' tag, Rajasthan know it well that the visitors, despite having big stars in their ranks, have never been able to convert the early promise into a title win. They finished runners-up once, losing to Chennai in the final 2010.

Rajasthan will be happy that Dravid, with two half centuries under his belt is looking as solid as ever, with Ajinkya Rahane proving to be the perfect foil at the top.

Shane Watson, who missed a couple of matches early on, looked in good nick against Punjab, giving the side options. Brad Hodge and Kevin Cooper have also played their roles well. But despite playing in front of the home crowd on a familiar track, Rajasthan will have to raise the bar to match the might of Mumbai.

In form player: Rahul Dravid has been leading from the front with some superb batting. Rajasthan will once again look to their skipper to give them a solid start.

Team form: Are third in the table with 3 wins from 4 games

Hit: James Faulkner - The medium pacer has impressed many with his performance for the Rajasthan team. Expect him to continue his good work.

Miss: Shane Watson - Much is expected from the Australian, but he failed to live up to that in the last game. The past few weeks in India have been tough for Watson and he will be itching to set it right.

Mumbai:

The visitors' all-round strength makes them the favourites going into the match at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium. Both Rajasthan and Mumbai have six points each from four outings having won three matches respectively, but the visitors have a better net run rate of 1.150,

The lavish spending has ensured that Mumbai have at their disposal greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, with T20 specialists Keiron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Rohit Sharma only adding to the outfit's strengths.

There are others such as Glen Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayadu and Munaf Patel and they also have a good bench strength.

The visitors have been riding on Dinesh Karthik, who has plundered 224 runs with two fifties and a best score of 86 against Delhi. Sharma, too, is good nick and has amassed 155 runs while Pollard, like always, has excelled with both bat and ball. Tendulkar has also shown good form but has not been able to convert his starts into big knocks.

Their bowling, with Malinga joining the squad, wears a lethal look. Mitchell Johnson, Pragyan Ojha, Harbhajan Singh and Pollard give them the variety and the options for any surface.

In form player: Dinesh Karthik. The wicket-keeper batsman has been the lynch-pin for the Mumbai team and will hope to continue his good run of form.

Team Form: Are 2nd in the table with 3 wins out of 4 games.

Hit: Mitchell Johnson - Under the leadership of Ponting, Johnson seems to have found the vigour and sharpness that make him extremely dangerous.

Miss: Ricky Ponting - The skipper has come under some flak for being a liability to his team. being a fighter that he always has been, Ponting will want to put the doubters to rest.

CB Pick: Mumbai. Mumbai seemed to have picked up more momentum in the past few games and with the middle order in outstanding form, they will be favourites for the match.