The 20th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League will witness the face-off between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Both MI and RCB, though coming from different trajectories, will be eager to bounce back to winning ways in this pivotal clash. With MI having suffered three defeats in four games and RCB looking to recover after their last defeat, the stage is set for an intense showdown. MI have endured a difficult start with three defeats, but finally they will be hoping to return strongly given the availability of Jasprit Bumrah.
The tearaway pacer missed MI’s initial games, but his return will significantly boost their bowling attack. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have shown promising signs with the bat, while wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton hasn’t been able to maintain consistency. If MI are to overcome RCB, they’ll need to sharpen their death bowling and avoid costly middle-order collapses to avoid another defeat. Amidst all this, Rohit Sharma will return to the side after missing the last match against GT due to fitness concerns.
RCB, on the other hand, who kicked off their campaign with back-to-back victories, suffered a defeat in their last game against Gujarat Titans. The defeat came as a surprise, especially given their dominant performances earlier, and it left the team with plenty to ponder as they look ahead to this clash with MI. RCB boast a strong squad, headlined by big names like Virat Kohli, Liam Livingstone and Rajat Patidar, who have all been pivotal in their team’s strong start to the season. With an experienced core, they will look forward to tackling high-pressure situations and will be focused on bouncing back from their recent loss. Furthermore, RCB will be aware of a losing record against MI at Wankhede, as they haven't beaten RCB even once at Wankhede since 2015.
Head-to-head
Matches - 33
MI won - 19
RCB won 13
Tied - 1
MI probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur.
RCB probable XII: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma.