With two gutsy wins on the bounce which set up the groundwork for their top-four push, Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to keep their momentum going when they take on Mumbai Indians in their 10th IPL-9 contest on Wednesday.
Since having their backs the wall, the Virat Kohli-led side has responded well to the challenge in the last two games, roping in back to back wins for the first time this season, and more importantly, come into the tie at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with the confidence that they can go the distance either chasing or defending.
Meanwhile Mumbai are coming off the back of a spanking at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
A win will see the home side replace Mumbai in the fifth spot due to their better run rate.
With K.L. Rahul, Virat Kohli, A.B. de Villiers all in good touch at the top and Sachin Baby and
Shane Watson, who has been the stand out bowler as well, capable of getting the job done in the middle, the onus will once again be on the batsmen to bail out a bowling unit that, though slightly improved, still look largely pedestrian.
Though early days, Chris Jordan has struggled to replicate his performance for England in the World T20 but is likely to continue ahead of Kane Richardson. Chris Gayle looks likely to continue his exile from the eleven.
It will be the lackluster bowling that Mumbai will target with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Parthiv Patel, Ambati Rayudu and Jos Buttler in their ranks.
Harbhajan Singh and Krunal Pandya has also shown their ability to score quick runs if called upon.
But the task will be cut out for Mitchell McClenaghan and Jasprit Bumrah to restrict RCB’s all-star batting line up in a ground which falls on the smaller side and a wicket that bleed runs.
With the race for the knockout spots reaching its final stretch and both teams packed to the rafters with firepower, the winner may well be decided by who blinks first.
While the summer showers have subsided in the past couple of days, the city’s unpredictable weather could still play a major part in the outcome of the match.
