RCB vs MI Playing 11: RCB Predicted Playing XI vs MI | IPL 2019

RCB vs MI Playing 11: RCB Predicted Playing XI vs MI | IPL 2019 as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s men get ready to take each other on.

RCB take on MI in what is tipped to be the Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma clash at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. Both teams are coming off big losses in their opening fixtures and will need to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible.

RCB have underperformed massively in the IPL, as despite having strong squads on all occasions, they still are bereft of an IPL trophy. Virat Kohli and co. would be hoping that the 2019 season goes down in history as the first time that RCB clinched that elusive IPL title.

But before that, RCB need to sort things out with respect to their personnel and how they execute their plans on the pitch.

Here we look at the personnel part and how the Bangalore franchise could shape up against MI on Thursday.

RCB Predicted Playing XI vs MI

Top Order

While the personnel in the top order should remain same for this game, the one tweak that RCB should make is sending Kohli back in at 3. To use Virat Kohli in the most optimum way possible, you need to ask him to bat through the innings. In order to do that, he needs players around him that take the aggressor’s role.

Parthiv Patel can’t really take the opposition apart when he is opening the batting with Kohli. At best he can keep pace with Kohli, something that wouldn’t really help RCB’s cause in the powerplay.

Thus, RCB should send in Moeen at the top, something they did last season. The England all-rounder is known to tear apart bowling attacks in the powerplay and he along with Parthiv can then set the the tone for Kohli and co. to take advantage of.

Moeen Ali and Parthiv Patel should open the batting for RCB against MI tomorrow.

Middle Order

Virat Kohli would take this rightful position at number 3, a position that he has made his own in white ball cricket. The general consensus is that Kohli will then be able to control the game better, without taking undue pressure on himself.

AB de Villiers and Shimron Hetmyer would follow. At 4, ABD gets enough time to get in and then launch towards the end. The previous game, he had to walk in a little too early, owing to the venomous track in Chennai.

Hetmeyer would want to forget his night in Chennai. He ran himself out at a time when his team needed him the most; something that should have been avoided at all costs, considering the situation. However, he still is one of the best young middle order batsmen out there and RCB would be hoping that he gets into the groove as soon as possible.

Lower Middle Order

The two all-round options that would make it to RCB’s line up should in all probability be Shivam Dube and Colin de Grandhomme. The duo did not do much in the first encounter, but that pitch and that match as a whole was an anomaly, and RCB would like to get it out of their system as soon as possible.

Both CDG and Shivam Dube can bowl medium pace and can use the long handle towards the end, something that RCB would be needing if the top and middle order fail to continue until the final few overs.

Bowlers

The bowling line up should largely remain same for this game, albeit with one change. While RCB went in with just one spinner and a part time spinner for the first game, they might want to add another one from here on, considering how pace off the ball always works in IPL games in India.

Navdeep Saini could make way for Washington Sundar. Sundar has already represented India and is well known for his bowling prowess in the powerplay.

Saini did not quite have a good outing in the first game and could be left out, with Saini also being an option(for being dropped). However, as Saini bowled impressively in the first game, Kohli might want to give him another go.

This change would be made only if the Chinnaswammy surface is expected to play a little sluggish, just like the last few seasons.

RCB Predicted Playing XI: Parthiv Patel(wk), Moeen Ali, Virat Kohli(c), ABD, Shimron Hetmeyer, CDG, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal