Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could’ve lost both their first matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and it would’ve completely exposed their lack of qualities. However, after suffering a 97-run loss against KXIP, they will be locking horns with the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI). The similarities with MI, though, begin and end at the Points column on the standings.
Virat Kohli has to correct a lot of mistakes for his team as they failed to find the right balance after a side strain to Chris Morris. It was no coincidence that the team’s fielding session on Saturday evening began with AB de Villiers, who was seen practicing his keeping skills. More suited to drifting around the middle-order is Moeen Ali, who can be an asset against the legspinner (Rahul Chahar) and left-arm spinner (Krunal Pandya) combo of MI.
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Four games have been played in Dubai, two of them by RCB, and teams batting first have won the match despite the fact that the winning captains never won the toss. In the most recent game, CSK lost the match due to the lack of dew and a wicket that slowed down progressively. MI holds a 16-9 H2H advantage over RCB. They’ve also won 7 of the last 8 encounters between the sides since IPL 2016. Chahal has dismissed Pollard 4 times from 38 balls, a record better than the one Krunal holds over de Villiers – 4 times from 43 balls.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Steyn’s figures of 0 for 57 against KXIP came because of him being predictable with his off-cutters at the death. With Morris still working on his back to gain fitness, RCB can be looking to include someone like Isuru Udana for a left-arm angle to cutters at the death and lower-order biffing. Umesh Yadav, too, could make for Mohammad Siraj after two forgettable bowling spells.
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In IPL 2017, Washington Sundar had the fifth-best Powerplay economy rate when he was playing for RPS. He bowled just one over in the first-six for RCB last year and just three overs overall after two matches. He appears to have become something of an afterthought even in a side struggling for PowerPlay efficacy.
Probable XI: Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Shivam Dube, Joshua Philippe/Moeen Ali, Isuru Udana/Dale Steyn, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav/Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Little reason for MI making any changes in their team is that they are a bowler short with Hardik Pandya not bowling as yet. Pollard chipped in with three overs last game. MI will particularly relish the chance of getting Trent Boult bowling to Virat Kohli early in the innings with the RCB captain still looking to find his range and falling twice already to left-arm seamers.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Trent Boult, James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah
