Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2021 Match 39: RCB vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs MI Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

What a treat for IPL fans. A true Super Sunday. After powerhouses Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders do battle, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians go head-to-head in a crucial match in the playoffs race.

And both teams desperately need a victory. Both have lost two consecutive matches in the UAE leg of IPL 2021, and this matchup has ramifications for the top four. MI, as they do in a full IPL season, have started slowly, and RCB have fallen away after a magnificent start to the season. Both are coming off disappointing performances, with Rohit Sharma’s men thumped at the hands of KKR, while Virat Kohli’s side lost convincingly to CSK.

So, who will hold their nerve? These two sides played an absolute thriller in Dubai last season, and this has the makings for another classic with great players and great pressure on show in equal measure. If RCB lose and KKR beat CSK, they will sit outside the top four. If MI lose, their quest for a playoffs’ appearance will slip away further.

Buckle up, this should be a good ride.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

• AB de Villiers has had a slow start to phase two of IPL, but this is the game he could return to form as he loves playing MI. In 18 innings against them, he has smashed 682 runs at an average of 52.46 and strike rate of 153.26. Incredible numbers.
• de Villiers slammed a 24-ball 55 against MI on this ground in 2020, and 48 (27) earlier this season. Overall at Dubai, ABD has scored 299 runs in nine innings at an average of 49.83 and strike rate of 148.76. This includes three half-centuries.
• No player has more runs in RCB-MI matches than Virat Kohli. He has struck 728 runs for RCB vs MI at an average of 28.00 and strike rate of 126.17. He is coming off a half-century vs CSK (53 off 41 balls), and will be looking to build on this.
• Kohli has a score of 90* at Dubai, part of 248 runs on this ground at an average of 31.00 and strike rate of 124.62.
• Devdutt Padikkal has struck two half-centuries in as many matches vs MI (74 off 45 balls and 54 off 40 balls). Padikkal has scored two half-centuries in seven innings at Dubai (205 runs, avg. 29.29, SR 112.64).
• Can Glenn Maxwell rediscover his early season form? He has 293 runs in 13 matches vs MI (avg. 22.54, SR 151.03), including a promising 39 off 28 balls earlier in IPL 2021. However, he will have to turn around a poor IPL record on this ground (8 inns, 74 runs, avg. 10.57, SR 100).
• Harshal Patel took 5/27 vs MI earlier this season. However, expect Dubai to be a truer pitch – the kind of surface that Patel hasn’t quite been as prolific.
• Yuzvendra Chahal has 19 wickets to his name in 14 matches vs MI (avg. 23.95). Also, he has 13 wickets in nine matches at Dubai, at an average of 19.13 and strike rate of 16.15.

Mumbai Indians:

• Quinton de Kock has struck three half-centuries in his last four matches, dating back to the Sri Lanka series. Overall vs RCB, de Kock has struck 338 runs at an average of 42.25 and strike rate of 148.25.
• At Dubai, de Kock has scored 218 runs at an average of 31.14 and strike rate of 132.12.
• Is this the day we see a Kieron Pollard special? No MI player has more runs against RCB than Pollard (546), scored a fine average/strike rate of 34.13/161.54. He smashed 60* off 24 balls vs RCB on this ground in 2020.
• Ishan Kishan loves batting at Dubai (277 runs, avg. 92.33, SR 161.99). He has struck three half-centuries in six matches on this ground, including 99 (58) vs RCB last season.
• Will Rohit Sharma lead from the front? He has the second-most runs for MI against RCB (497) at an average of 29.24 and strike rate of 143.23. Rohit will be aiming to improve on a sub-par record at Dubai (138 runs, avg. 19.71), but he did score a superb 68 in last season’s IPL Final.
• If Hardik Pandya is fit and firing, it will elevate MI to another level. Against RCB, Hardik has slammed 230 runs in 12 innings at an average of 46 and strike rate of 163.12.
• Jasprit Bumrah has taken 21 wickets in 16 matches vs RCB – the most of any bowler in MI-RCB matchups. Also, Bumrah enjoys bowling at Dubai, with 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.33 and strike rate of 13.00.
• Trent Boult also enjoys bowling at Dubai, with 12 wickets in six matches at an average of 14.75 and strike rate of 11. Also, Boult has 10 wickets in six matches vs RCB at an average of 21.90 and strike rate of 14.40.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 30, RCB 11, MI 19.
• Suryakumar Yadav is struggling this season (181 runs, avg. 20.11, SR 132.11). MI fans can hope this is the day he returns to form, as he has struck 79* (43) and 31 (23) in his last two games vs RCB.
• Krunal Pandya has dismissed AB de Villiers four times in IPL, conceding just 51 runs in 47 balls in the process.
• Yuzvendra Chahal has dismissed Kieron Pollard four times in 14 IPL matches.
• Unleash Bumrah and Boult against Glenn Maxwell? Bumrah has dismissed Maxwell six times in 61 deliveries, conceding just 70. Boult has dismissed Maxwell twice in 19 balls, for just 23 runs.
• Virat Kohli needs 16 runs to reach 10,000 in T20s.

Possible Playing 11

Wanindu Hasaranga has had an unhappy start to life in the IPL, and RCB are known to make constant changes. So, they could bring Kyle Jamieson back. Also, Navdeep Saini is under pressure to keep his spot.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Virat Kohli (c), 2. Devdutt Padikkal, 3. Srikar Bharat (wk), 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. AB de Villiers, 6. Tim David, 7. Kyle Jamieson/Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Harshal Patel, 9. Navdeep Saini/Shahbaz Ahmed, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Hardik Pandya is on the brink of full fitness. Given that MI need to win this game, this could be the match that sees the return of Hardik.

Mumbai Indians: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Rohit Sharma (c), 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Ishan Kishan, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Hardik Pandya/Saurabh Tiwary, 7. Krunal Pandya, 8. Adam Milne, 9. Rahul Chahar, 10. Trent Boult, 11. Jasprit Bumrah

Dubai Pitch Report and Weather

The team batting first won 15 of the 26 matches on this ground in IPL 2020. Also, the average first innings score is 170 in the last 29 T20s on this ground.

The forecast is for clear and warm weather.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Match Prediction

A potential classic in store. The team batting first may need at least 170 here with two strong batting lineups and what should be a good batting surface.

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?