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The two most expensive teams of IPL will pit their wits on Saturday at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. 

Royal Challengers Bangalore are running on two victories and one loss, and the players are yet to hit their stride. They could have won the last two games comfortably, although they have a habit of making things difficult, and once the batters peak in IPL, RCB can do much better in the next matches. 

Mumbai Indians have their own problems as they are winless in the last three fixtures. Although their batting has been decent, bowlers have failed to exert dominance and were outclassed by opponent’s batters. They will now face a team with top-class batters and should prepare themselves for this test. 

Now both the team faces each other, we go back to their last five games.  

#1 RCB defeated MI by 54 runs

RCB batted in the first innings, with Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell helping their team in the batting department achieve a decent target of 165 runs for MI. With Virat 51 off 42 balls and Maxwell 56 off 37 deliveries. 

MI were brimming with confidence and were hopeful about achieving the score, but Harsh Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal were in the form of his life. Patel discharged four MI batsmen while Chahal took three wickets, as the entire MI team fell short in 118 runs. 

#2 RCB edged past MI by 2 runs

Harshal Patel has been a protagonist for RCB bowling and, time and time he proved his worth on the pitch. In this fixture, the Bowler dismissed four batsmen, restricting MI to only 159 runs and 9 wickets. 

We know how RCB are good at chasing the target, although they faced crises this time but completed their route to 150 runs in 20 overs. 

#3 MI condemns RCB by 5 wickets

RCB has always failed to give a formidable task whenever they batted in the first inning as this time, they fell to only 164 runs with Devdutt Padikkal being the hero of the team hitting 74 runs off 45 balls. 

Like Devdutt Padikkal, MI had Suryakumar Yada who defied the odds in this match as he went on to smack 79 runs off 43 deliveries, not out, and inspired the team to win with 5 balls to spare. 

#4 RCB prevails in Super over

RCB gave a daunting task to MI and AB de Villers, Aron Finch, and Devdutt Padikkal, all hitting the half-century, helping the team accomplish an exacting target of 201 runs, which could have been tricky for MI to pursue. 

However, MI did complete the chase with Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard playing a pivotal role as both accumulated 99 and 60 runs, respectively.

Although it wasn’t enough as Mumbai made only 201 runs, the game went into super overs. MI chose batting in the first over and were disappointing, making only seven runs; RCB’s AB de Villers and Kohli chased down the target with ease and knocked out MI. 

#5 MI won by 5 wickets 

One of those days when RCB questions their bowling after assigning the opponent a mountain to climb. RCB gave a pretty great chase to MI of 171 runs, with Moeen Ali and AB de Villers producing heroic performances smashing 50 and 75, respectively. 

But in the second innings, RCB bowlers came short as they allowed MI to go full stretch, as they chased down the target with 6 balls to spare.