3 player battles to watch out for in MI vs RCB, Match 25 of IPL 2024 ft. Jasprit Bumrah vs Virat Kohli
Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in match number 25 of IPL 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 11.
The Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai had a dismal start to their campaign, slumping to three back-to-back defeats. The five-time champions were finally off the mark on the points table with a 29-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in a home encounter.
Mumbai are currently placed eighth in the standings with one win from four outings. Bengaluru, too, have struggled to perform consistently this season.
Faf du Plessis and company have just a solitary victory to boost, which came against Punjab Kings (PBKS), where they chased down a 177-run target with three wickets in hand at home.
Bengaluru are languishing at the penultimate spot in the points table. The two sides have faced each other 32 times in the tournament. MI have an edge in terms of the head-to-head record, having won 18 times compared to RCB's 14 wins.
With both teams desperately looking to stage a turnaround, the upcoming clash promises to be an enthralling one for the fans.
On that note, we take a look a three match-ups that could have a major impact on the result.
Jasprit Bumrah (MI) vs Virat Kohli (RCB)
Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli are arguably the biggest names in Indian cricket at the moment. On Thursday, the two will engage in a battle of one-upmanship, which will be a mouth-watering contest.
Bumrah has been by far the pick of the MI bowlers this season. While he has bagged just five wickets in four matches, he has bowled at a fantastic economy rate of 6.12.
Kohli has also been in terrific form in IPL 2024. With 316 runs from five outings, he is currently the Orange Cap holder. He notched up his eighth IPL century in RCB's previous outing, remaining unbeaten on 113.
The former RCB captain has scored 140 runs from 92 balls against Bumrah. However, he has been out four times to the MI speedster in the league's history. Skipper Hardik Pandya would rely on his pace bowling spearhead to dismiss Kohli early.
Rohit Sharma (MI) vs Reece Topley (RCB)
Mumbai's star opening batter Rohit Sharma has provided his team with explosive starts consistently. He has chalked up 118 runs across four matches at a strike rate of 171.01.
While the onus will be on Rohit to score brisk runs in the powerplay, he would have to counter a tall left-arm pacer, which has been his Achilles heel. The seasoned campaigner was dismissed for a golden duck to Trent Boult earlier in this season.
RCB would want Reece Topley to get the better of Rohit with the new ball. In T20s, the seamer has one dismissal to his name against the veteran batter in two innings
Gerald Coetzee (MI) vs Glenn Maxwell (RCB)
Geral Coetzee would be brimming with confidence following a stunning four-wicket haul against Rajasthan. The 23-year-old's performance will be crucial for Mumbai in their upcoming fixture as well, considering Bengaluru's star-studded batting lineup.
His face-off with RCB's swashbuckling batter, Glenn Maxwell, especially in the middle overs, is expected to be entertaining. Following a string of failures, Maxwell would be itching to get a big score under his belt.
Coetzee is MI's leading wicket-taker in IPL 2024 so far, bagging seven scalps from four matches at an economy rate of 10.62. Maxwell, on the other hand, has just 32 runs from appearances. However, despite the awful form, no opposition can take the Aussie lightly, as he is a proven performer in white-ball cricket.