Royal Challengers Bangalore begin another season seeking their ever-awaited maiden title as they begin their campaign against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Overview
Royal Challengers Bangalore: RCB had a problem where most of their runs were being scored by just a few star players, which made them vulnerable if those players didn't perform well. So, during the mega auction last year, the RCB team management decided to invest in some younger, lesser-known players from India to strengthen their batting lineup.
One of these players was Dinesh Karthik, who is known for his ability to hit the ball in any direction, which made him a valuable addition to the team's lower order. While Karthik's performance may be unpredictable at times, his unique style can help take some of the pressure off of other players like Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli.
Overall, it seems like RCB has taken some smart steps to address their batting issues and create a more balanced team. We'll have to see how these changes work out for them in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
During the recent player auction, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team tried to sign several overseas fast-bowling all-rounders such as Sam Curran, Cameron Green, and Ben Stokes. However, despite being involved in some intense bidding wars, they were not able to secure any of these players.
One of the challenges for RCB is that they also lack proven Indian fast bowlers who can make valuable contributions with the bat. This can be a weakness for the team, as the ability to score runs down the order can be crucial in tight matches.
It remains to be seen how RCB will address these issues going forward, but they may need to be creative in finding solutions to strengthen their bowling and batting depth.
Mumbai Indians: On paper, the team's line-up for this year's Indian Premier League may not look as strong as it has in previous years. However, one major advantage they have is the return of the Mumbai Indians to their home ground at the Wankhede Stadium. The last time the IPL was played on a home-and-away basis, the Mumbai Indians were crowned champions, winning six out of eight games played at the Wankhede.
The team also has the benefit of having Jofra Archer, a sensational fast bowler, who will thrive on the bouncy red-soil track at the Wankhede Stadium. Additionally, if Cameron Green, a promising all-rounder, is able to handle the pressure of his high price tag and perform well, it could be a huge boost for the team.
Despite some uncertainties, the Mumbai Indians have a good chance of performing well this year, especially with the advantage of playing on their home turf. It will be interesting to see how they perform in the upcoming IPL season.
The Mumbai Indians cricket team is facing some challenges in their pace unit due to injuries to two players. Jasprit Bumrah has a prolonged back injury, and Jhye Richardson was ruled out of the tournament at the last minute. Despite the addition of Jofra Archer, the team's pace unit still appears to be a weak link. The injuries have also affected the balance of their first-choice XI. Kieron Pollard has retired from playing and has joined the coaching staff, and Tim David is now the primary finisher, with Cameron Green as the main all-rounder. If Jason Behrendorff is included as Archer's new-ball partner, the team may have to bench Dewald Brevis, which would require a strong heart.
The team will be looking to their captain, Rohit Sharma, to lead the way with the bat. Rohit had a disappointing season last year, failing to score a single fifty and averaging under 20 with a strike rate of around 120. He will be eager to turn things around and make a big impact in his hometown of Mumbai.
Overall, the Mumbai Indians will need to overcome their pace bowling challenges and find the right balance in their lineup if they want to have a successful IPL campaign this year. The advantage they will have this season is that they will have quite a deep batting lineup this year around quite unlike the previous year.
Mumbai Indians will be in a situation somewhat akin to Virat Kohli becoming unavailable for the Indian side right after getting shot out for 36 in the second innings of the first Test in Adelaide during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy played down under, with the wooden spoon finish in the previous season equivalent to being shot out for 36 and Jasprit Bumrah's unavailability being akin to Virat Kohli's departure.
Mumbai Indians' bowling is 'almost going to be a surprise package', as stated by the head coach Mark Boucher. The greatest advantage it provides Mumbai Indians is that with almost everyone ruling out their possibilities this season due to the huge void left by Jasprit Bumrah's absence, the young guns that will get an opportunity in the bowling department would walk out with minimum pressure which gives them the freedom to express themselves to the best of their abilities which could possibly make them a threat for any opposition considering the X-factor someone like Arshad Khan or anybody else might bring to the fore.
Injuries and replacements
- Rajat Patidar has a heel injury due to which he will miss the first half of IPL 2023.
- Josh Hazlewood's persisting issue with Achilles tendonitis will make him miss the first half of IPL 2023.
- Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the first two games this season for RCB owing to international commitments with Sri Lanka currently being involved in an away 3-match T20I series with New Zealand.
- Glenn Maxwell is highly doubtful to play RCB's season opener owing to issues with his leg.
- Will Jacks has been ruled out of IPL 2023 owing to a muscle injury.
- Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of IPL 2023 with a long-standing back issue. Sandeep Warrier has been picked up as his replacement.
- Jhye Richardson has been ruled out of IPL 2023 with a hamstring injury.
Probable XII (XI+Impact Players)
Royal Challengers Bangalore
F du Plessis(C), Virat Kohli, Finn Allen/Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Players: Akash Deep (if RCB bat first), Suyash Prabhudessai (if RCB bat second)
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Cameron Green, Arshad Khan, Jofra Archer, Kumar Kartikeya, Jason Behrendorff
Impact Players: Shams Mulani (if MI bat first), Nehal Wadhera (if MI bat second)
Head-to-head
Total 30
MI won 17
RCB won 13
Interesting Facts
3 – Glenn Maxwell (197) needs three fours to reach 200 fours in IPL.
4 – Shahbaz Ahmed (46) needs four wickets to complete 50 wickets in T20s.
59 – Dinesh Karthik (6941) requires 59 runs to reach the landmark of 7000 runs in T20 cricket.
4 – Tilak Varma (46) requires four sixes to get to 50 maximums in T20s.
40 – Tim David (3460) needs 40 runs to complete 3500 runs in T20 cricket.
4 – Jofra Archer (46) requires four wickets to reach 50 wickets in the IPL.
Pitch / Weather Report: On Sunday, Bengaluru is expected to experience a temperature range of 20 to 33 degrees Celsius. The pitch at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is known to favour batters, as the ball tends to slide smoothly onto the bat.
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Date & Time: April 2nd at 7:30 PM IST (local time)
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network (Television) and Jio Cinema (OTT/Digital)
Dream 11 Team
Note: If Glenn Maxwell doesn't play due to his injury concerns, pick Tim David.
