IPL 2017 Match 12 preview: Mumbai look to continue winning ways as Kohli balm soothes RCB

Match 12: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Capacity: 38,300)

Friday, April 14th

16:00 hours IST

The intense rivalry between the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore would have lost its’ sheen had this match been played any earlier in the tournament with two RCB superstars nursing injuries. The comeback of skipper Virat Kohli, which was confirmed by an official release from the BCCI, will add the much-needed solidity to the Bangalore batting line up, something that has affected their outcomes majorly.

While RCB are coming off an away loss to Kings XI Punjab at Indore, the Mumbai Indians are high on confidence after their thorough performance against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at home. Although these are early days in the tournament, the home team would like to settle on team combinations and come up with a clinical performance which can bring back smiles on their fans’ faces while Mumbai will be looking to build on the winning momentum.

Team Form:

RCB: L(SRH) W(DD) L(KXIP)

MI: L(RPS) W(KKR) W(SRH)

Team News:

Ask any RCB fan and the sweetest sound to his ear would be that of the leather ball striking the blade of their hero Virat Kohli. After an incredible season last year that saw him shattering all sorts of batting records, Virat is expected to bolster the batting by his presence at the top. ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle, who was dropped last match, may be drafted into the XI. AB de Villiers has already shown that he means business from the word go and with the return of his partner in crime, opposition bowling attacks just beware. Kedar Jadhav’s confidence is audacious, one that suits him and his style of batting. Their only worries in the batting line up remains the form of Mandeep singh and Stuart Binny, two of whom could be regarded as culprits of RCB’s previous loss to Punjab, wherein Bangalore conceded 57 dot balls in its’ 20 overs.

The RCB bowling outfit looks more potent than previous editions. Strike bowler Tymal Mills has impressed with his pace and bowling variations. Yuzvendra Chahal seems to be growing with every passing game. They would seek improved contributions from the pair of left arm spinners of Iqbal Abdullah and Pawan Negi. An improved all round performance from under-performing stand-in-skipper Shane Watson could hold them in good stead for the entire season ahead.

Fresh from two beautifully scripted wins, the Mumbai Indians look a more settled team. The fact that fresh young talent has had a major role in these wins is even more encouraging for the management. Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler have given them good starts at the top. Nitish Rana, the 23-year old left-handed middle order batsman, has very well filled in the shoes of Ambati Rayudu with scores of 34, 50 and 45. Kieron pollard can turn a match by his batting and fielding on his day. The Pandya brothers have brought life into the team with enthralling all round performances and lively celebrations. While Hardik won them the match against the Knight Riders, Krunal’s 20 ball 37 helped them overcome the Sunrisers. The only issue with their batting remains the form of their captain Rohit Sharma, who has thus far aggregated 9 runs across 3 matches.

Their bowling is in the safe hands of the accurate Jasprit Bumrah, who has learnt and excelled under teammate Lasith Malinga. Mitchell McCleneghan would be eager to put up a better performance. Harbhajan Singh will be expected to deliver the goods as he has across the 10 years of the IPL for Mumbai.

Ideal Playing XI:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli ©, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Kedar Jadhav (wk), Shane Watson, Mandeep Singh, Pawan Negi, Tymal Mills, Iqbal Abdullah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sreenath Aravind

Mumbai Indians: Parthiv Patel (wk), Jos Buttler, Rohit Sharma ©, Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell McCleneghan, Lasith Mailnga, Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and Weather report: It is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of 35 degrees Celsius. It being an afternoon start, captains will be tempted to bowl first as the pitch becomes better for batting under lights. Also the Chinnaswamy is the highest scoring venue in the IPL and a small ground, thus considered a chasing ground.

History: The two teams have enjoyed a strong rivalry in the IPL. Mumbai are slightly ahead in the head to head dossier with an 11-8 advantage over Bangalore. RCB have only managed to defeat Mumbai once in their previous five meetings. In the seven matches the two have played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Mumbai has won six.

Match prediction: Comeback man Virat is someone who leads by example and with that threatening look returning to the RCB batting line up it seems the home team can go on to beat the visiting team and make a strong statement for the rest of the season.