The Saturday double-header promises to be a blockbuster of a day for cricket as we will witness four top sides of the league all set to lock horns with each other. The opening encounter is set to take place between the struggling CSK and SRH, and finally, we will have one of them get off the mark.
While our focus in this article is the evening contest which will feature the resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore and bottom dwellers Mumbai Indians. There is no doubt that the five-time champions will come out all guns blazing as they can not afford one more loss in the string.
Mumbai Indians did show some resistance against the KKR side but the Cummins show which went on to headline the sports world ensured Rohit Sharma's search continued.
And we’re off to Pune. 🚌
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 8, 2022
Travel day for the Royal Challengers. 🙌🏻#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2022 #Mission2022 #RCB #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/FL6eC9u2aS
For the RCB, they have had completely contrasting results as to the Men in Blue. The Faf du Plessis side were almost out of the game against Rajasthan Royals but a brilliant batting display by the veteran Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed ensured they snatched victory from the hands of Sanju Samson and Co.
Mumbai Indians have done in the past, they love making comebacks, can they replicate their effort of the past? Or will RCB deepen Mumbai's struggles?
Match timings
Match Toss Time: 19:00 IST (13:30 GMT)
Match Start Time: 19:30 IST (14:00 GMT)
Match Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Head to Head
Matches played: 31, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 12, Mumbai Indians: 19
Notable stats
Highest run-getter in this fixture (active): Virat Kohli (779 runs)
Highest wicket-taker in this fixture (active): Jasprit Bumrah (24 wickets)
Weather conditions and pitch
Team News
It's great news for the RCB supporters as the stat Aussie all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is now available for selection and that means Rutherford will have to sit out. The rest of the line-up is likely to remain the same.
For the Mumbai Indians, the debutant Dewald Brewis showcased great talent and he is likely to continue in the combination. The disastrous over by Daniel Sams added to the fact that he failed to deliver with the bat as well will likely pave way for the West Indies all-rounder Fabian Allen, who can bring some variety with his spin bowling as well.
Probable playing Xl
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
Mumbai Indians (MI): Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams/Fabian Allen, Dewald Brevis, Murugan Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Basil Thampi
Must-picks
The RCB skipper Faf du Plessis continued his great form before being dismissed by the street smart bowling of Yuzvendra Chahal. He along with Tilak Varma are two players who have been consistent throughout and are definitely a must-have in your line-up.
Suryakumar Yadav made all justice to retention by scoring a clinical fifty in the two-paced MCA pitch. Yadav and Wanindu Hasaranga are our two other must-pick for this intriguing contest.
लढ़ेंगे…भिड़ेंगे…गिरेंगे…उठेंगे… ज़िद नहीं छोड़ेंगे 💪🔥#OneFamily #DilKholKe #MumbaiIndians @surya_14kumar MI TV pic.twitter.com/el7TVyNJfC
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 8, 2022
RCB vs MI fantasy team
Captain and Vice-captain picks
Prediction
A must-win game for the Mumbai Indians and means they will be under immense pressure coming to this contest. On the other hand, the RCB have managed two out of the three encounters and their aim will be to elevate its net run rate.
To be honest, the big names are yet to fire for RCB and it's the least expected who have been delivering for him which is a big boost. The return of Glenn Maxwell will make the lineup even stronger. Mumbai Indians have to come out with a plan and given their history, it wouldn't be surprising if they do so. With Suryakumar in the form he is and Brewis showing us what he can do, we feel Mumbai Indians might just pull this off.
Mumbai Indians to win match 18 of the IPL 2022
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