Mumbai Indians will square off against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a thrilling encounter in the 25th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It’s been more than 2 weeks since the start of this season and neither team has had a good start so far in the tournament.
Both MI and RCB are at the 8th and 9th spot respectively in the points table so far and will look to bag 2 points in their kitty by winning their next match. If we talk about MI, they horrifically started their campaign by losing their initial 3 matches. In addition to the poor show, they drew heavy criticism from their fans for the change in captaincy reigns.
However, MI finally registered their first win of the season, in their 4th match after beating a depleted DC side. MI would be hoping to continue their winning momentum in the next match against the star-studded batting line-up of RCB, who have been on a losing spree. In this article, we will predict the possible playing XI of MI against RCB:
Top Order
1. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is the most experienced and among the most explosive batters of their team. He has been in top form at the international level in the past few months and has also shown glimpses of it by providing quick starts to the team like he did in the last game against DC. However, MI would like him to carry on his good form with the bat and convert his start into a big total.
2. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is currently going through a rough patch with the bat and hasn’t been able to fire so far in the IPL. But given his explosive batting abilities and reputation, MI would be a bit more patient with him and would give him a longer rope to come into its own and play the innings for MI which he is known for.
3. Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav just made a comeback into competitive cricket after undergoing ankle surgery. While he played for MI in the last match against DC, he wasn’t able to leave an impact as he got out for 0. But Suryakumar Yadav is the No.1 T20I batter in the world and we all know what he can do in this format and it’s just a matter of time before he will come back into his own in the IPL.
Middle-Order
4. Tilak Varma
Tilak Verma is one of the most prominent youngsters in the IPL and MI have played a vital role in the making of this player. He has been one of the consistent performers for MI in the last two seasons and has been able to carry on his form this season too. Being a left-hander, he provides another dimension to the MI middle-order and the team will like him to carry on with his merry ways.
5. Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has been one of the best cogs of the MI playing XI. His inclusion in the side provides the team with the much-needed balance. Hardik Pandya has looked a bit rusty with the bat in the season so far and his strike rate has been a point of debate but with the type of player he is, MI won’t be worried about his form, and they will expect him to get good with the bat sooner or later. However, he hasn’t bowled in the last two matches which raises questions among MI fans about whether he is completely fit or not.
6. Tim David
Since Keiron Pollard has hung his boots in the IPL, Tim David is being seen as the perfect replacement for him. Tim David on some occasions has shown that he has it in him to fill up Pollard’s void, but the latter’s consistency is something which cannot be matched that easily. However, David played a quick-fire knock against DC in the last match and MI will continue to persist with him given his game-changing abilities.
7. Romario Shephard
Romario Shephard in the last game against DC proved why he was rated highly as a T20 hitter. The West Indian all-rounder ripped apart Anrich Nortje’s bowling in the last over and his hitting eventually became a deciding factor in the match. MI would love him to play some more innings as the last one in the upcoming matches.
Bowlers
8. Mohammed Nabi
Mohammed Nabi has been one the prolific T20 all-rounder for Afghanistan who has proved his worth in gold at the international stage for many years. He is a shrewd all-rounder who bowls tight lines as an off-spinner and can hit a long ball with the bat. He provides a really good mix of bowlers and batters to the MI line-up and MI will most probably persist with him against RCB.
9. Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla is the most experienced spinner in the MI setup. The veteran leg-spinner is at the far end of his career, yet he bowled well in the last season which prompted MI to go with him this season as well. He hasn’t been able to perform up to the mark in this season yet but with the plethora of experience he has, MI would be hoping for him to make a comeback against RCB.
10. Gerald Coetzee
Gerald Coetzee is one of the most promising talents coming up from South Africa. The Proteas pacer went for runs in the initial three games, but he had a fantastic game against DC, where he ended up with 4 wickets for only 34 runs in his four overs in a high-scoring game.
11. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is the biggest match-winner in the current MI setup. His quota of 4 overs is as safe as a bank for MI, where they know that he won’t go for runs and will also pick crucial wickets for them. In a high-scoring encounter against DC, Bumrah ended up with a figure of 22 runs in 4 overs in lieu of 2 wickets.
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