Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians: Will MI be able to put a break on their losing streak

Both teams had a losing start to the season. Where Bangalore made a comeback to have their winning moments, Mumbai has failed in three consecutive matches. 

RCB is looking for a batting comeback

Despite having an immense quality of talent, Royal Challengers Bangalore hasn’t been able to hit top gear yet. Their bowlers have been doing fine to find wickets in opposition, but batters have been a little inconsistent. Twice they have struggled in the chase, and both the times, it was Dinesh Karthik saving the game for them. The availability of Glenn Maxwell from today’s match might solve this inconsistency and make their batting more clinical. They will be coming with enough confidence after winning two straight matches despite the opening defeat by Punjab Kings. The team will rely heavily on their middle-order to play a pivoting role.

Need an extra mile walk for Mumbai to win this game.

Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, would be under pressure after having lost three consecutive matches. The team has been displaying below-par performance in critical moments. They looked in control in the last match against Kolkata Knight Riders until Pat Cummins came and smashed bowlers in the final overs to make 50 in just 14 balls. The team looks to have a nice balance of batters and bowlers; they might just need to go an extra mile to get their hands on their first win.

Head-to-head record

Of the 31 matches between the two, Mumbai Indians have won 19 of them, whereas Royal Challengers Bangalore have won only 12. However, in IPL 2021, Mumbai Indians lost the two matches played against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Pitch Report

Pitch looks to be enjoyed more by batters. High humidity can make it difficult for bowlers to keep the ball dry. Toss winning captain might look to chase.

Predicted Probable XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), David Willey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Kieron Pollard, Fabian Allen, Murugan Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Jaydev Unadkat

Stats to keep an eye on

• Dinesh Karthik has dominated Jasprit Bumrah in the T20s, carrying a strike rate of 163.63 without being dismissed.
• Jasprit Bumrah has been more successful against Glenn Maxwell, dismissing him seven times in 15 innings while giving up 75 runs off 65 balls.
• Harshal Patel has excelled against the Mumbai Indians, having picked up 18 wickets in 10 matches against them at an economy rate of 7.59 and an average of 12.94.
• Rohit Sharma is 51 runs away from reaching 10,000 T20 runs, only second India after Virat Kohli to do so.

It is one of the most prominent battles in the Indian Premier League. It will be super interesting to see if the five-time champions can make a comeback against Royal Challengers Bangalore in form.