11 April,2024 11:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
For a side which invariably starts IPL with a few losses, MI know their way around these lanes (Pic: AFP)
Desperate Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be under tremendous pressure to get their act together against an equally struggling Mumbai Indians when the two teams face-off in IPL 2024 match on Thursday.
Four losses in five matches have not only vindicated how poor RCB were in the last IPL 2024 auction, but they have also missed the opportunity to make it up with better on-field showing.
However, there is nothing much to separate the two teams as RCB are just a rung below MI in the points table at the ninth position with MI winning just one (29-run victory over Delhi Capitals) out of their four games so far.
Virat Kohli's brilliance, notwithstanding, RCB's campaign is under threat of falling apart even before they could register enough wins to have a real shot at the knockouts.
With the halfway mark of the ongoing IPL approaching rapidly, it is imperative for RCB's overseas stars, including skipper Faf du Plessis (109 runs), Glenn Maxwell (32) and Cameron Green (68) to find form.
Kohli's imperious form -- 316 runs with one century and two fifties at a strike rate of 146.29 -- has been the lone bright spot for RCB.
MI would know present circumstances provide them with a ripe opportunity to build up on their recent success and move further up in the points table after a rough start.
For a side which invariably starts IPL with a few losses, MI know their way around these lanes. A contest against a floundering RCB could bring about their second win on the trot and some further boost in confidence, before facing defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
Also Read: 'Completely drained' Adam Zampa reveals reasons for pulling out of IPL 2024
But it would be imperative for MI not to get too far ahead, since they also have their share of concerns.
Even though Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have set the scoring tempo at the top, the middle-order has failed to carry the momentum for which skipper Hardik Pandya is answerable to a large extent.
It remains to be seen if the anger of MI fans against Pandya persists when he takes the field next, as he got some respite in their last game which was attended by thousands of children and not regular supporters.
Suryakumar Yadav's return amid a lot of attention ended in a damp squib, but the world's no. 1 T20 batter would be itching to hit the strides and get a big score.
Romario Shepherd's blitz against Anrich Nortje for 32 runs in an over clearly proved to be the difference against DC here, since the visitors managed to go past the 200-run mark despite not looking threatening enough while chasing an imposing 235-run target.
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.
Wicketkeeper: Ishan Kishan
Batters: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Tilak Varma
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Hardik Pandya, Romario Shepherd
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal, Reece Topley
MI have 49 wins in Wankhede
Shreyas Gopal plays his 50th IPL match
SKY needs one four to reach 350 fours in his IPL journey
SKY needs another six sixes to reach 300 sixes in T20s
SKY needs another three fours to reach 700 fours in T20s.
Mohammed Nabi (348) needs another two fours to reach 400 fours in T20s
Shreyas Gopal (49) needs one wicket to reach the landmark of 50 wickets in the IPL
Mumbai Indians won toss, elects to bowl first.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Reece Topley, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, Akash Madhwal
11: 14: PM: MI: 199/3 (15.3)
Hardik Pandya hits the winning boundary. Mumbai Indians won the match by 7 wickets.
11: 04 PM: MI: 181/3 (14)
Suryakumar departs after completing his half-century. RCB is in huge trouble as MI need 16 runs in 6 overs.
10: 52 PM: MI: 151/2 (12)
Rohit Sharma departs after scoring 38 runs. Suryakumar continues to smash boundaries.
10: 40 PM: MI: 111/1 (10)
Ishan Kishan departed after scoring 69 runs. Suryakumar enters Rohit in the run chase.
10: 30 PM: MI: 92/0 (8)
RCB bowlers struggle to find wickets, Rohit and Ishan continue to strike hard.
10: 18 PM: MI: 72/0 (6)
RCB is on the back foot. Rohit, Ishan continues to strike the ball all around the ground.
10: 08 PM: MI: 32/0 (4)
Ishan's aggressive approach helps Mumbai reach 32 runs after the completion of 4 overs.
9: 56 PM: MI: 9/0 (2)
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan start on a stable note. Mumbai Indians reach 9 runs in 2 overs.
9:28 PM: 196/8 (20)
Karthik smashes a maximum and a boundary off the final over, securing his fifty. Amid a contentious no-ball call challenged by RCB, Akash Deep takes a single to deep square leg for Bengaluru to finish on 196.
9:16 PM: 170/8 (18.4)
Bumrah claims his fifth wicket, dismissing Vijaykumar Vyshak caught by Nabi, putting him on a hat-trick again, following his earlier dismissal of Saurav Chauhan, who fell to a top-edge pull caught by Akash Madhwal, marking Bumrah's fourth wicket.
9:08 PM: 153/6 (16.5)
Bumrah strikes once more, dismissing Lomror lbw for a golden duck with a toe-crushing yorker, putting him on a hat-trick.
8:59 PM: 153/5 (16.4)
Du Plessis departs for 61, caught by Tim David at long-on off Bumrah's full toss, with David executing an excellent sliding catch to perfection.
8:32 PM: 105/2 (11.2)
Patidar smashes two consecutive sixes to notch a fifty, the first 50-plus score for an RCB batter other than Kohli in IPL 2024, before getting caught by Ishan Kishan off Gerald Coetzee's delivery, ending his impressive innings.
8:21 PM: 90/2 (10.1)
Skipper Pandya concedes 13 runs in this over, including a six from Patidar, despite delivering a mix of slower balls and short deliveries, with some wides included in the over.
8:12 PM: 67/2 (8)
Romario Shepherd concedes boundaries to both Patidar and Du Plessis. Skipper Du Plessis showcases classy batting with a well-placed drive, as he delivers a mix of slower balls and short deliveries.
8:04 PM: 44/2 (6)
Du Plessis smashes a quick boundary to long-off but gets hit on the body the next ball, while Patidar contributes with boundary in the over from Madhwal.
7:53 PM: 23/2 (3.4)
Jacks departs on eight, caught by Tim David at mid-on off Akash Madhwal's delivery, as RCB suffers early setbacks, losing two wickets.
7:40 PM:14/1 (2.3)
Kohli falls for three, caught by Ishan Kishan off Bumrah's delivery, after a shaky start, marking a rare failure for him and an early wicket loss for RCB.
Match begins!
Nabi concedes seven runs off the first over, with du Plessis and Kohli rotating strike comfortably.
