IPL 2020: Match 10: Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Mumbai Indians: MI Predicted XI

Defending champions Mumbai Indians bounced back with a 49-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders after losing the IPL 2020 tournament opener to Chennai Super Kings. Mumbai Indians produced a complete performance to restrict the Knight Riders across facets to secure their 20th win over them. It got Mumbai their first points in the current IPL edition.

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will lock horns in what will be their team’s third fixture of this year’s season. With Mumbai Indians’ every department clicking in their last game, they likely will stick to the same line-up. The skipper got the man of the match award that guided his side to a daunting total of 195. The bowlers performed their role to great effect in defending it.

We take a look at Mumbai Indians’ predicted XI ahead of their IPL 2020 game against Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Rohit Sharma (c):

Rohit Sharma struck form against Kolkata Knight Riders by smashing 80 off 54 deliveries, top-scoring for his team when others failed after getting starts. The right-handed batsman greeted million-dollar boy Pat Cummins with a couple of sixes in his first over.

Rohit eventually got dismissed in the 18th over after holding the innings together. The 33-year old will fancy a brittle bowling line-up of RCB that got hammered by KL Rahul, who clubbed 132 the other night.

Quinton de Kock (wk):

Quinton De Kock’s last competitive game before IPL was back in February and has displayed an indifferent form. De Kock muscled his way to 33 in 20 deliveries against CSK; however, he scored only a single against KKR. However, the southpaw’s ability behind the stumps remains unquestionable; hence, he will retain his spot.

Suryakumar Yadav:

Suryakumar Yadav has built his reputation as one of the most potent T20 batsmen amongst Indians. Suryakumar Yadav might not have the power; instead, he relies on timing, footwork, and elegance to find the boundaries frequently.

The right-handed batsman managed 17 runs against CSK followed by a stroke-filled 47 off 28 deliveries against his former franchise, KKR. In the process, he shared a stand of 90 along with Rohit Sharma and has cemented the number three spot.

Saurabh Tiwary:

Saurabh Tiwary has justified his selection in the first two games in every sense as he played significant knocks in both of them. With 42 runs, Saurabh Tiwary top-scored against CSK, displaying confidence and self-belief in his shots.

Against KKR, the southpaw smashed a quick-fire 21 off 13 deliveries, finding the fence against Pat Cummins in three consecutive deliveries. It is worth noting that Ishan Kishan is waiting in the wings; however, for now, Mumbai will likely persist with Tiwary.

Hardik Pandya:

Hardik Pandya has so far made scores of 14 and 18, clobbering boundaries in his short stay, giving Mumbai Indians the lift in the slog overs. If the openers get off to a fiery start, the likely scenario would be of Hardik Pandya batting at number three to unearth his true potential this season.

Rohit Sharma has not required the 26-year old to bowl so far as his frontline bowlers are beginning to find their strides. However, at some point or stage, Pandya might need to roll his arms for an over or two.

Kieron Pollard:

Kieron Pollard arrived in the IPL after leading the Trinbago Knight Riders to the CPL title and an excellent form as well. Kieron Pollard’s potential with the bat as a match-winner is enormous; however, he has not got enough time to bat yet.

The towering all-rounder so far has scores of 18 and 13*, displaying signs of what he could do when having more overs to bat. Pollard picked up the crucial wicket of Nitish Rana against KKR while he is also an asset on the field.

Krunal Pandya:

Krunal Pandya has proved as a handy cricketer for Mumbai Indians, displaying brilliance across departments in the last few seasons. In two matches so far, Krunal Pandya has not done anything significant with the bat or ball; however, will most likely retain his place for the third game.

James Pattinson:

James Pattinson as a replacement for Lasith Malinga invited plenty of questions as many had the impression he was not suited for the conditions in the UAE. Moreover, experts felt that Mumbai should have chosen a spinner as they lack an experienced and quality one.

However, James Pattinson has exceeded the expectations in his first IPL season. In two matches, the Victorian has taken three wickets, sharing the new ball with Trent Boult. Against KKR, Pattinson bagged the wickets of Sunil Narine and Pat Cummins.

Rahul Chahar:

Rahul Chahar had plenty of responsibilities on his young shoulders ahead of IPL 2020 season. While Rahul Chahar had a proven record in the cash-rich league, he was not experienced enough to lead the spin-bowling attack.

In contrast, the young leggie has not done poorly so far, picking up three wickets in two games. Chahar bagged the scalp of Dinesh Karthik against KKR to halt their charge and would be looking forward towards elevating himself further.

Trent Boult:

Trent Boult is the new-ball bowler for the Mumbai Indians and has discomforted the batsmen all over. In both the matches, Trent Boult has struck with the new ball, accounting for three wickets in two fixtures. However, that does seem low by his standards as the left-arm seamer would be looking towards more victims.

Jasprit Bumrah:

There was a stark contrast in Jasprit Bumrah’s performances against CSK and KKR. Jasprit Bumrah conceded 43 in four overs for the only wicket and bounced back with two against KKR. It is worth noting that Pat Cummins slammed Bumrah for four sixes in an over.

However, it does not discount the lanky pacer’s efforts of dismissing the likes of Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan, both of who were crucial in KKR’s run-chase. The 26-year old would be aiming towards more consistency moving forwards.

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