Neither Mumbai Indians nor Royal Challengers Bengaluru would have expected or bargained to be where they are, three weeks into Indian Premier League 2024. Languishing at the eighth and ninth spots respectively, both MI and RCB have work to do, as they prepare to lock horns in match 25 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 11. (MI vs RCB Preview | Full IPL Coverage | More Cricket News)
MI have finally opened their account this season, surging to a 29-run victory in their previous game against Delhi Capitals. Though the win came after three consecutive defeats, the blazing knocks by Tim David and Romario Shepherd would have given the Hardik Pandya-led side some confidence of scoring and defending big totals at home.
RCB, on the other hand, are coming into this match after three back-to-back losses. After beating Punjab Kings, Faf du Plessis's team has succumbed against Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals, and desperately needs an uptick.
A likely flat pitch and small boundaries at the Wankhede could come to the rescue for either franchise's big hitters, and regardless of the result, we might see a flurry of fours and sixes amid a high-scoring encounter.
Before the MI vs RCB match begins, let us take a look at three key battles that could spice up the clash.
Virat Kohli Vs Jasprit Bumrah
A lot has been said about Virat Kohli's strike rate in T20 cricket in general, and the IPL in particular. But the fact remains that the batting titan has been the lone gun shouldering RCB's fortunes for a long, long time.
He will be expected to do something similar on Thursday, and for that he will need to tackle the brilliance of his India teammate Jasprit Bumrah. The MI bowling spearhead is the best in the business, and will no doubt be tasked with seeing Kohli's back early to quell the visitors' challenge.
Romario Shepherd Vs Mohammed Siraj
Bowling all-rounder Romario Shepherd proved to be the difference for MI with the bat in their previous game. The 29-year-old from Guyana smashed South Africa seamer Anrich Nortje for 32 runs in the last over to swing it the hosts' way, and will be eager to replicate that against RCB.
Mohammed Siraj will take charge of death bowling for the visiting team and has been prone to leaking runs there. Shepherd will certainly target the India pacer for the final flourish, and it promises to be an exciting battle.
Faf Du Plessis Vs Akash Madhwal
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis sets high standards for himself, and by that token, 109 runs in five games do not cut it. The former South Africa captain has got a few starts, including in Bengaluru's last match against Rajasthan Royals, but has failed to make a match-winning contribution yet.
To make amends, he will need to set the tempo at the top of the order alongside Kohli, and must tackle the likes of Bumrah and Akash Madhwal. The latter, a 30-year-old from Roorkee, made waves in the last season with his 5 for 5 against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. Madhwal has a good yorker and can surprise batters with his movement off the surface.
Squads
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood.
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.
