Clash of powerhouses takes centrestage as MI and RCB lock horns in Mumbai

Despite promises up front, somehow, RCB’s journey in the latest edition of the IPL hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride. Given the fact how thick and fast these games come at you, they are already up for the next challenge as Mumbai Indians will be hosting them in a clash for two important points.

As things stand, both RCB and MI haven't found their stride which gives them an opportunity to take the momentum forward. RCB’s solitary win this season came against Punjab Kings, but since then, it has been a journey that has had its fair share of twists and turns. For MI, they had a shaky start to the tournament amidst all the chaos but their win against Delhi Capitals will be spurring them into some upbeat action.

With Virat Kohli leading the charts for run-scorers, RCB’s main area of focus will be their middle-order. Similarly, with Reece Topley getting back to impressive numbers, whether the playing XI remains the same will be a question that is answered at the toss.

Venue Watch:

The pitch at Wankhede has always been a batting friendly surface. However, with the new ball, the bowlers will have an added bit of edge bowling in the first half. The surface has shown signs of some spongy bounce towards the latter half of the first innings but batting second gives the batters an added edge considering the appearance of dew.

Personal battles to watch out for:

Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah:

This is one particular rivalry that can be one to watch out for in this very special match-up. Despite the rising struggles of both the sides, these two stalwarts have been in exceptional shape. VK currently leads the run-scoring charts of the tournament with 316 runs while Bumrah’s haul of five wickets and the miserly economy rate of 6.12 are numbers which would make the fans latch onto their seats for dear life.

Glenn Maxwell vs Hardik Pandya:

Two fine all-rounders who have had start-stop momentum in the ongoing IPL will be optimistic of getting the wheels back in motion. Maxi’s haul of four wickets against Pandya’s 108 runs scored at a strike rate of 138.46 can be the ones that both sides will be taking note of. Guess what, the numbers in the opposing discipline can also undergo a paradigm shift if Maxi gets going with the bat or Pandya goes all guns blazing with the ball in his hand.

Mohammed Siraj vs Rohit Sharma:

Siraj has somewhat struggled this season to get back to his rampaging form. However, knowing Miyan, those numbers of four wickets and an economy rate of 10.10 can change in the span of just a solitary game. Rohit has looked good for his 118 runs from four matches but the Hitman is capable of something way more incredible, and on his home ground, the opener will want to stamp his authority.

Match details:

Match: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Date: 11th April, 2024

Time: 7:30 PM

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 32

MI: 18

RCB: 14

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.

Mumbai Indians:

Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, N. Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Luke Wood, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma, Kwena Maphaka..