The first match of Friday’s (April 14) double header will see two heavyweights of the Indian Premier League- Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI)- fighting it out in the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Both the teams made an indifferent start to the season, losing their season-openers but while Mumbai have bounced by winning their next two matches, Bangalore have lost one and won one. Well, one cannot still comment on RCB’s form as they were missing some key players during those matches. On the other hand, MI have a fully-fit squad to chose their best eleven from and their performances are a reflection of the strength they possess at the moment.
But with Virat Kohli declared fit by the BCCI and likely to be included in the playing eleven and AB de Villiers already fit, the two-time IPL champions will have their task cut out if they are looking to win their third game on the trot.
So here are we taking a look at their forms, probable lineups, strength, prediction and more.
Overview:
RCB:
First taking a look at the hosts. The runners-up of last years have lost two of their opening three games and surprisingly their batsmen failed to fire in all those matches. After losing the opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 35 runs, they scored 157 and 148 in their next two. Kohli’s absence was obviously a big reason behind it but the failure of other batsmen is a major area of concern for the team – management. The bowling lineup is not looking up to the mark either. In the first match, they conceded 207 runs against the defending champions while in the last match they gave away 150 runs inside 15 overs against Kings XI Punjab when Glenn Maxwell’s men chased down the 149-run target with utmost ease.
MI:
Barring Rohit Sharma, the other batters are looking in fine form and the bowlers too joined the party in the last game when they restricted the formidable batting lineup of Sunrisers Hyderabad to 158 runs.
View on think tank:
RCB:
The Bangalore-based outfit is riddled with too many issues. Right from their openers to their bowlers, their players are yet to hit the top gear and if they fail to find their form their against the two-time champions, they can expect another loss.
The top-order has looked unsettled and has been one of the biggest reasons for Bangalore’s poor start to the season. After the Shane Watson-Chris Gayle combination failed in the opening two games, the team management tried Watson and Vishnu Vinod in the third game but to no avail. Kohli’s arrival will surely provide them with the much-needed stability.
MI:
Rohit Sharma’s form will be a major area of concern for the team-management. The skipper, who returned to cricket field after a six-month injury layoff, is yet to find his form. The bowlers had conceded over 175 in the first games but did well against Sunrisers Hyderabad by restricting them to 158 on a batting friendly track.
Tracking the strength:
RCB:
AB de Villiers has already made a stunning comeback when he blasted 89 off just 46 balls in the last game against Kings XI Punjab and Virat Kohli’s return will give their top-order a formidable knock.
MI:
Nitish Rana and Hardik Pandya’s red-hot form have been the biggest positive for Mumbai so far. The duo have played big roles in all the three matches and will be keen to replicate their form in the upcoming match. Lasith Malinga and Hardik Pandya are also looking good with the ball.
Possibilities in the lineup:
RCB:
The home team is likely to include Virat Kohli in the playing eleven. Chris Gayle, who was dropped from the team in the last match, can also get the nod as Shane Watson can play the role of the pacer. In that case, Billy Stanlake is likely to make his way out of the team.
MI:
The visitors are expected to go in with the same playing eleven that helped them defeat Sunrisers.
Head-to-Head:
Mumbai Indians have an 11-8 winning record against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament. Interestingly, the visitors have won six of seven games against RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Last season Mumbai Indians won both the games.
Prediction:
Given the track record of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and the batting lineup of both the teams, a high-scoring encounter is on the cards. Team batting second is likely to win the match. A 180-plus score is expected.