Royal Challengers Bangalore will be a relieved unit after registering their maiden victory of Vivo IPL 12 after their 8 wickets victory against Kings XI Punjab yesterday at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. As they gear up to meet the Mumbai Indians tomorrow in an away game, RCB will be a confident unit after a great all-round performance against the Kings XI Punjab. Despite being in a comfortable position they let the match slip and it was only some lusty blows by AB de Villiers and Marcus Stonis which eventually won them the game.
Royal Challengers Bangalore should be in a good space
The form of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers will surely keep them in good space. They produced a relatively better bowling performance against Punjab. However, the bowlers have been pretty ordinary all through the tournament. The length which the RCB bowlers have bowled at hasn’t been great which has resulted in them losing 6 matches on a trot.
Despite a couple of good batting performances, the RCB bowlers haven’t managed to close out games which is why Bangalore is at the bottom of the points table. However, the victory against Punjab has surely given them hope and they would look to get on a roll and win a few matches on a trot. The matchup against the three-time champions Mumbai Indians won’t be an easy one but RCB will back themselves to get their 2nd victory in their kitty.
Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, suffered a hiccup at the hands of Rajasthan Royals the other day. In a high scoring match, it was Jos Buttler who proved to be the difference between the two teams. The Englishman smashed 89 of just 42 deliveries which provide the much-needed platform for the other batters.
Mumbai Indians will look to make a comeback
Mumbai bowlers did make a comeback towards the later stages but Shreyas Gopal held his nerves and sealed the deal for Rajasthan. Mumbai won’t be too much bothered as they are not used to winning too many matches in the first leg of the tournament. However, they will be wary of the fact that one bad performance can make slide down in the points table.
Mumbai Indians have a sensational team to boast of and if they can gel as a unit Bangalore might have a tough day. When the two franchises met last time there was drama surrounding the last delivery of the match. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma publicly criticised the umpiring after the final delivery which was a no-ball weren’t called by the on-field umpire. Hence in all likelihood, we might also witness a humdinger tomorrow.
Date and Venue:
The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The 31st match of the competition will start at 8 pm and will be played tomorrow.
Pitch Report:
Traditionally the pitch at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is a batting paradise. Mumbai Indians made 187 in the match against Rajasthan. However, in a flat track, it was not even a par total and both Mumbai and Bangalore will at least look to get over the 190 mark if they bat first. Tall fast bowlers might have an advantage with the bounce.
Weather Report:
In all likelihood, it will be a hot day in Mumbai. However, the players will be relieved with the fact that it will be a night game. The temperature during the game is expected to vary from 28 to 32 degrees with no chances of rain at all. Hence a full 40 overs match can be expected.
Match Prediction
Royal Challengers Bangalore will be a confident unit and despite Mumbai Indians being the superior team, I will go with Bangalore to win tomorrow’s clash. Personally, I am a big MI fan but as a gut feeling, I feel Bangalore might just sneak out with a win a tomorrow. However, there is no doubt about the fact that it will be a great contest.