CRICKET BLOG FOR THE FANS, BY THE FANS

IPL 2020 Match 48: MI vs RCB Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

How good is this playoffs race? The winner of this match will have one foot in the playoffs, while the loser will join a tussle between five other teams for a spot in the final four.

Mumbai Indians, thanks to their superb net run rate, will likely make the playoffs with one win out of their remaining three matches. However, in a league where any team can beat the other, a top two finish could prove crucial. So, can MI bounce back from defeat at the hands of Ben Stokes last time out to take a giant step towards the playoffs?

Their opponents, Royal Challengers Bangalore, have improved significantly in 2020. In fact, there have been key reasons to their superior performances this time around compared to previous seasons. However, RCB’s nerves will now be tested in a tight playoffs race, after a poor performance to bottom-placed CSK over the weekend. So, the question for RCB is: can they overcome the mental hurdles of the past few years and put in strong performances to seal a playoffs spot?

With both teams still to face the Delhi Capitals, this match is vital.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• AB de Villiers has a crucial role to play. He has the potential to decide this match. The South African superstar loves playing MI (619 runs, avg. 56.27, SR 152.46), and scored 55* (24) against them earlier in IPL 2020.
• His partner in crime, Virat Kohli, has been in excellent touch in recent games. Since scoring 14 runs in his first three matches in IPL 2020, Kohli has struck 397 runs in the next eight matches at an average of 99.25.
• Also, Kohli has the most runs of any player in MI-RCB matches (686, avg. 28.58, SR 128.46). Can he build on this?
• It was a rare failure for Quinton de Kock last time out against RR. Before the last match, de Kock had hit scores of 67, 23, 53, 78*, 53 and 46* in his previous six outings. Can he quickly regain that kind of form here?
• Rohit Sharma (478 runs vs RCB, avg. 29.88, SR 143.98) has been batting at training, but could yet sit out this match due to a hamstring strain. His replacement at the top, Ishan Kishan, has been strong in his last two games: 68* (37) and 37 (36).
• Of course, who could forget Kishan’s incredible 99 off 58 balls against RCB earlier this season? Kishan and Kieron Pollard (60* off 24 balls) took MI to the brink of victory when they needed 90 off the final five overs.
• Last game, Pollard was dismissed for the first time since the first game against CSK. The stand-in Mumbai captain is striking at 198.14 in IPL 2020, and has the most runs for any MI player against RCB (535, avg. 35.67, SR 163.11).
• Suryakumar Yadav has a poor record for MI vs RCB (6 inns, 100 runs, avg. 16.67). However, Suryakumar has enjoyed batting at Abu Dhabi in IPL 2020; his last four scores on this ground: 79*, 53, 10 and 40.
• So, RCB need to be wary of MI’s middle order, which also contains the dangerous Hardik Pandya. Hardik smashed an incredible 52 runs off his last 12 balls last game vs RR, and has had success vs RCB in the past (10 inns, 200 runs, avg. 66.67, SR 172.41).
• Can the RCB opening combination of Aaron Finch and Devdutt Padikkal overcome MI’s excellent new ball bowling? Finch has been under-par in IPL 2020, but scored a half-century vs MI earlier this season and has been threatening to make a significant score (47, 20, 14, 16 and 15 in his last five knocks). Padikkal also scored a half-century vs MI this season (54 off 40 balls).
• Chris Morris had his most expensive outing in IPL 2020 last game vs CSK (1/36). So, the motivation will be there to bounce back with a strong performance here. Morris has helped transform RCB’s bowling in IPL 2020, with 10 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 5.74.
• Yuzvendra Chahal has taken 17 wickets in 12 games vs MI, and has 16 wickets in 11 games in IPL 2020 (only Rashid Khan has more among spinners with 17).
• Jasprit Bumrah (17) and Trent Boult (16) both sit in the top 10 wicket-takers in IPL 2020. Bumrah has 16 wickets in 14 games vs RCB (avg. 26.50, econ. 7.85), and will be looking for a better outing against them than what he had earlier this season (0/42). Boult enjoys playing RCB, with eight wickets in four games against them, including 2/31 earlier this season.
• Rahul Chahar has enjoyed bowling at Abu Dhabi this season, despite going for 36 in three wicketless overs last game vs RR. Chahar’s figures in IPL 2020: 1/36, 2/26, 2/26, 1/24, 0/27, 2/18 and 0/36.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 28, MI 18, RCB 10.
• RCB beat MI in a Super Over in what was arguably the game of IPL 2020 so far. RCB amassed 201/3, before MI tied the scores on the final ball courtesy of a Kieron Pollard four.
• In RCB wins in 2020, AB de Villiers has scored 246 runs at an average of 123 and SR of 203.31. In RCB losses, this comes down to 78 runs at an average of 19.50 and SR of 120.00. So, if MI dismiss de Villiers early, it can go a long way to victory.
• RCB’s middle-overs run-rate is 6.80, which is the worst in the league. ABD’s death-overs heroics have been key for RCB.
• De Kock (114.88), Kishan (100.99) and Krunal (79.41) all strike slowly against off-spinners in IPL since 2018. RCB have two such bowlers: Moeen Ali and Washington Sundar.
• Chahal to bowl in the powerplay? The classy legspinner has a good record vs de Kock (12 balls, 11 runs, two wickets). He also has a good record vs S Yadav (14 balls, 14 runs, two wickets).
• MI (12.70) and RCB (11.47) have been the best scoring teams in the death overs in IPL 2020.
• Neither RCB or MI have lost consecutive matches in IPL 2020. Both are coming off defeats.

Possible Playing 11

Rohit Sharma (hamstring) and Navdeep Saini (split webbing in his hand) are both reportedly unlikely to play.

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

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Devdutt Padikkal, 2. Aaron Finch, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. AB de Villiers (wk), 5. Moeen Ali, 6. Gurkeerat Singh, 7. Chris Morris, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Navdeep Saini/Umesh Yadav, 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. Mohammed Siraj

Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report

Abu Dhabi has been batting-friendly in recent games, with three scores of 190+ in the past two games. In fact, 195 wasn’t enough for MI two nights ago against RR, as RR chased the target with a significant 10 balls to spare. Also, the chasing team has won five of the past seven matches on this ground, so the captain who wins the toss could look to field.

Dream11 Prediction

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Option 2:

Match Prediction

What a match we have in store today. This could very well be similar to the last clash between the two sides, where it went to a Super Over. MI’s greater depth, particularly in the middle order, could prove key. But, if AB de Villiers fires, RCB are right in with a chance of winning.

Thanks for reading!