IPL match preview: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians
Yet another season of plenty of promise begins for Bangalore. They made a big call last year by appointing Faf du Plessis captain ahead of Virat Kohli. That remains this season, as du Plessis, Kohli and company attempt to finally clinch a title.
Virat Kohli.The pressure will likely resound throughout their campaign. Bangalore have underdelivered on several occasions - and patience is wearing thin among some of their supporters. One feels the clock is ticking for the future of the franchise.
They will be up against a Mumbai Indians outfit that has undergone a dip in form. While they have five titles, Mumbai came stone last in the 2022 10-team standings. They'll want a prompt turnaround, which can't merely result in a mid-table finish.
A massive blow to Mumbai's campaign is the absence of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Captain Rohit Sharma has tried to play down Bumrah's exit due to injury, but really it leaves their seam-bowling attack quite light.
RCB against MI is among the biggest rivalries in the IPL. Bangalore have home-ground advantage in Bengaluru, where their 10s of thousands of fans will be an added dynamic for Mumbai to navigate.
Mumbai have only beaten Bangalore once in their last five outings. Their last three have brought the Royal Challengers victory each time. Generally, in this head-to-head contest, the team who batted second won.
Ishan Kishan is a young-buck star for Mumbai. All the more importance has been placed on his role with the bat after Kieron Pollard retired from IPL cricket to end a long stay with the five-time champions. Bowling-wise, in Bumrah's absence, Ramandeep Singh has the opportunity to step up.
Wanindu Hasaranga has remained with RCB. They've seen enough in the Sri Lankan all-rounder to retain him for this IPL season. Hasaranga can be a match-winner with bat and ball. Du Plessis will likely open the batting for RCB in an attempt to deliver quick runs through the mandatory powerplay.
There is an air of fragility to the start of Mumbai's campaign. Bangalore, meanwhile, appear more settled than they have in the past at the same point. It's likely that the Royal Challengers will claim a fourth successive win over Mumbai and kickstart their pursuit of a maiden IPL title.