RCB Vs MI 2019: 3 Player battles to look forward to

Here are the three scintillating battles between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on Mumbai Indians at Chinnaswamy Stadium in the seventh game of the VIVO Indian Premier League on Thursday. Both the sides will be desperate to clinch a victory and secure two points in what might promise to be an exciting encounter.

Virat Kohli’s men were humiliated in front of the Chepauk crowd when the whole Royal Challengers batting lineup crumbled for a measly score of 70 runs in a poor pitch. The bowlers tried their best, but Chennai showed maturity by losing just three wickets and chased down the total in 17 overs. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant’s demolition at the end was the difference between Mumbai and Delhi at Wankhede Stadium.

There will be some exciting individual encounters between these two sides, but we shall look at the top three faces off which could determine the game.

Yuzvendra Chahal VS Rohit Sharma:

On a personal note, Yuzvendra Chahal’s display at Chennai was nothing short of spectacular. The spinner did his best by picking up a wicket and conceded just six runs after bowling four overs. In a batsmen friendly pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Chahal must be wary of the threat possessed by the opposition batsmen. His battle against Rohit Sharma will be a treat to watch.

The pressure got the best out of Rohit Sharma when Mumbai were chasing a huge total of 214 against Delhi Capitals. Bucking under dragoon, the Skipper fell for 14 runs when he was tried to go for the maximum. The Indian International had an underwhelming last season and he will be keen to bounce back with a perfect statement. Rohit loves this stadium as he scored the debut double century against Australia on this turf.

Ab De Villiers Vs Krunal Pandya:

Ab De Villiers got dismissed by Krunal Pandya twice during the last season. The South African International was blistering throughout the whole last season, but he started off on a disappointed note with a score of nine against the Super Kings. The right-hander was caught on the square leg when he tried to heave the ball over the field on the boundary line. He will be hoping for a turn of fortunes at their own backyard.

Krunal Pandya is an important player for Mumbai Indians with the finesse of power hitting, constructive batting, and superficial bowling. The left-arm has dismissed De Villers twice last season, and he will be hoping for the same when he bowls against the South African. He picked up twelve wickets last season and his spell in the middle overs against the hard hitters will be pivotal.

Virat Kohli Vs Jasprit Bumrah:

Virat Kohli versus Jasprit Bumrah will be one of the determining factors of the game. The Skipper has put in plenty of meritorious performances at Chinnaswamy Stadium by mustering runs for fun. The Indian International fell for a low score of six runs in the first game, but the pitch track would be entirely different at their own backyard which would suit the batters. Even though Bumrah does not complete all his overs in the first few overs of the game, the wicket of Kohli will be priceless.

Jasprit Bumrah suffered a shoulder injury in the last over of the first innings against Delhi Capitals and did not walk out for batting which caused concern among the fans. However, he has recovered in time and will not miss this game against Bengaluru. Even though he is known for his death bowling, his wicket-taking abilities in the first overs of the game cannot be written off. His battle against Kohli will be pivotal to stop free flowing runs.

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