Mumbai Indians always get off to a slow start, but three losses in three games is as bad as it can get. But to be fair to them, all three matches were close and it could so easily have been 3 wins in 3 for Mumbai had they had the rub of the green in crucial stages of the game.
As it is, Mumbai Indians find themselves is a must win game as early as in the second week of the IPL against their old rivals, RCB. This is going to be an interesting clash between two teams full of superstars.
RCB has the two biggest names in cricket – Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, and for many years in the past, they had another big name, Chris Gayle. Yet, they have won absolutely nothing in the IPL. This is a team that always flatters to deceive. This season hasn’t gone too well for them either, 1 win, 2 losses.
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For champion players like Virat and AB, it must be embarrassing to be associated with a team that fails again and again. It’s not that Virat and AB haven’t done their best – it’s just that the rest of the team just aren’t good enough. Cricket is a team game, after all, and you can’t win a major competition like the Indian Premier League with just one or two good players.
What hurts RCB the most is their weak middle order. Once Virat and AB are dismissed, any bowling attack would fancy their chances against the rest of the RCB batsmen. Some of the RCB youngsters such as Sarfaraz Khan and Pawan Negi have been very poor, not worth the millions they are paid.
Mumbai Indians have a more rounded team. They have talented young players in every position. The brothers Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya are India’s own version of the legendary Waugh brothers of Australia. Then you have the brilliant young leg-spinner Mayank Markande who has been the find of IPL 2018 so far.
Their top-3 comprising of Evin Lewis, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan has done very well indeed. Then you have Rohit Sharma, of course. On paper, this is the strongest team by far in the Indian Premier League. It is a mystery as to why they have 3 losses in 3 games.
Both teams will be desperate to win tonight’s clash, but we expect Mumbai Indians to win this one, unless Virat and AB come up with something magical.
The Teams
Mumbai Indians: 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Suryakumar Yadav, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Mayank Markande, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Jasprit Bumrah
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Pawan Negi, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Kulwant Khejroliya, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
Watch Mumbai Indians play Royal Challengers Bangalore tonight at 8 pm live on Star Sports!
