After having registered a couple spectacular wins, the high on confidence Mumbai Indians will up against a rejuvenated Royal Challengers Bangalore side in their next fixture. MI, at the moment, looks all-powerful but they won’t start as the favourites. Scenarios have become different as Kohli marks his return in the next encounter. But, all of a sudden, MI finds themselves standing in front of a full strength team. MI needs to make sure they continue putting up the collective team efforts that have got some really thumping victories. In short, to summarise, MI will be facing its toughest challenge since the start of this edition and their performance tomorrow will define their contenders this season.
Previous Encounter:
MI was the better team when they met RCB in their previous encounter, which was in the 2016 edition. It was a one-sided affair which saw big names like Kohli, Gayle and De Villiers failing to perform. Rohit Sharma & Co will surely hope the same happens tomorrow as well.
After electing to bowl first, economical bowling performance from the Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan and Tim Southee saw RCB produce an underwhelming batting show, managing just 151/4 in 20 overs.
MI, in response, had a horrible start as they lost Parthiv Patel Cheaply but so the chase was in control as Ambati Rayudu, Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler made valuable contributions and took their home with six wickets in hand and 8 balls to spare.
Recent Form:
Mumbai Indians recent form has been wonderful. They have made a great comeback after losing their tournament opener against Rising Pune Supergiant, beating strong opponents like Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad pretty easily.
The win against the latter two opponents speaks for the quality the side possesses. The young guns are blazing and the veterans like Harbhajan Singh are also having a splash. This collective team effort and non-dependence on a single star player have set them apart so far.
The last victory over SRH is a great example. Although Harbhajan Singh was awarded the Man of the Match, picking a single top performer is a tough job considering the contributions from Parthiv Patel, Nitish Rana and Krunal Pandya.
Win/Loss:
WWLLW
Talking Points:
Virat Kohli’s returns is the biggest talking point of the match. The star cricketer, who single-handedly took his team the finals last season, is a colossal boost to the opposition and the MI bowlers need to be wary of this threat.
The Pandya brother – Krunal and Hardik – will also be in the limelight. These two have shown their ability to just pop up and change the course of the match in no time, be it bowling economical spells, picking breakthrough or smashing some lusty blows towards the end of the inning – This duo is capable of doing all these things.
Nitish Rana, MI’s newest revelation has performed in every match so far. He truly has been the surprise factor in the team and eyes will be on the attacking Delhi left-hander when he steps out to bat against the home side.
Here is the XI:
Parthiv Patel, Jos Butler, Rohit Sharma, Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchel McClenaghan, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah.