MI vs RCB: Match preview, head-to-head records and pitch report
IPL 2019 is halfway through, but the excitement keeps on increasing. The match number 31 is set to be played between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. Being considered as the 'clash of the skippers', both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would look to put up a splendid show. Here we present the detailed match preview.
Mumbai suffered a loss against Rajasthan, Bangalore register opening win
Notably, in their last match, Mumbai suffered a shocking loss to Rajasthan Royals by four wickets. As of now, Mumbai have notched four victories as they sit on the fourth spot. As for Bangalore, they finally registered their opening win of the season against Kings XI Punjab after six consecutive losses. Kohli and his boys will look to continue their winning momentum.
Quinton de Kock, Kohli among players to watch out
The players who could make an impact in this tie are MI's wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock and Kohli. Quinton de Kock had scored a prolific knock of 81 in the last match and would look to continue in the same vein. For RCB, Kohli has been in fine form in the past three matches. He would have no choice but to perform again.
Mumbai have the edge over Bangalore
Considering the head-to-head encounters between the sides, Mumbai have an upper hand. In 24 IPL matches, Mumbai have won 15, while Bangalore have nine victories. Out of 21 matches in India, Mumbai have won 14, while Bangalore have pocketed seven. Of the 10 matches in Mumbai, Mumbai have won six, while Bangalore have four wins. The last tie also saw Mumbai steal a win.
Will another high-scoring tie entertain Mumbai fans?
Considering the Wankhede track, it has been a batting friendly pitch traditionally. This IPL is no different as a score above 170 can be considered as par. Interestingly, in the four matches so far, two matches have been won by the team batting first, while two matches have been clinched while chasing. However, being a 8 PM game, teams would look to bowl first.
Here's the predicted Playing XI
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah. RCB: Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Marcus Stoinis, Moeen Ali, Akshdeep Nath, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj. Dream XI: Quinton de Kock, AB, Kohli, Rohit, Stoinis, Moeen, Krunal, Chahal, Saini, Bumrah, Chahar.
When, where and how to watch
Match: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Time: 8 PM (IST). Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1, 2, Select 1 and other regional channels of Star Sports. Where to watch (Online): Hotstar.
