IPL 2026: MI vs RR, Match 69 – Top player battles to watch out for

The Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to face each other in match No. 69 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, May 24.

This is a clash between two teams that came into the tournament with high hopes, but things haven’t gone entirely to plan. The Mumbai Indians have struggled near the bottom of the table, managing only four wins out of the 13 matches they have played. Meanwhile, Rajasthan find themselves in a precarious position with six defeats, having played the same number of games.

The team that loses on Sunday will officially see their campaign end in disappointment at the bottom end of the table. However, the winning team, particularly Rajasthan, will book their playoff spot.

Here are the top player battles to watch out for from Match 69:

3. Rohit Sharma vs Sandeep Sharma

The former MI captain will play his final game of the season at the Wankhede. The season has been a mixed bag for him, with injuries playing an integral part. The right-hander has scored 283 runs in eight innings.

He will up against his longtime rival in IPL, Sandeep Sharma. The medium pacer has troubled the veteran Indian batter the most, dismissing him a record six times in just 13 innings. There is some kind of assistance for the pacer early on at the Wankhede, which Sandeep would want to capitalise on it. 

2. Jofra Archer vs Ryan Rickelton

Jofra Archer is breathing fire in IPL 2026, especially with the new ball. The English pacer has been RR’s best pacer so far in this season, taking 18 wickets with an economy rate of 9.14. On a true Wankhede pitch, he can be a deadly option.

Ryan Rickelton, on the other hand, has been MI’s standout batter this season, scoring 436 runs at a strike rate of 187.12. The left-hander has scored two fifty-plus scores and a hundred. Whoever comes on top will give their side an early boost.

1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Jasprit Bumrah

The most highly-anticipated contest of the match will be between Jasprit Bumrah and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The two met earlier in IPL 2026 and it was a one-sided contest with the 15-year-old smashing Bumrah for 13 runs in just five deliveries. He is having a great season with the bat, whereas the pacer is having one of the worst IPL seasons of his career.

In a must-win game like this, Sooryavanashi will have the responsibility to carry RR’s batting, whereas Bumrah would want to return the favour with a great outing against Vaibhav.