🏏IPL 2025 ~ 20th Match MI vs RCB at Wankhede @7.30 PM🏏

🏏 IPL 2025 ~ 20th Match:

MI vs RCB at Wankhede on 7th April, 7:30 PM IST 🏏

As the IPL heats up with every team now having played at least a couple of games, the competition is growing fiercer with fans and players alike feeling the pressure. All eyes now turn to the Wankhede Stadium, where Mumbai Indians are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a much-anticipated clash.

Adding to the buzz, there's a strong possibility of Jasprit Bumrah making his return, which could give MI a major boost in this high-stakes encounter.

This encounter marks the 20th match of the season, with both teams entering the clash looking to bounce back from recent defeats—MI lost to Lucknow Super Giants, while RCB fell short against Gujarat Titans.

By now it is well established that Mumbai Indians have a dubious reputation for poor starts. And that is not just in terms of match outcomes alone. They often begin the games just as poorly. Increasingly, their fortunes are being decided in the first six overs - more often than not, for the worse.

The relevant numbers point to a telling picture. In four games, they lost eight wickets in the first six overs - the second-most among all teams - while managing to take only five wickets in return, also the second-worst. Only Punjab Kings have fared worse in terms of wickets taken during this phase.

Their best six-over phases upfront came against Kolkata Knight Riders - five scalps in first seven overs (four in the first six) and lost only one while batting. That was the only time this season when they won a match. In T20 or white ball parlance, it's the PowerPlay problem.

Mahela Jayawardene agreed that the PowerPlays have been a worry. "We have looked at those numbers as well. When you start the season with a new group of players, we will come across these issues. So, that is something that we will have to address. Agreed on the PowerPlays that we need to take a bit more control. Whenever we have done that, we have done that. That is something we are going to plan and see whether we can improve on that."

That could change with the return of two key players for Monday's game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede - Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma. Bumrah has missed all four games so far, while Rohit had to sit out the last one and is eager to make his presence count. Both are more than capable of making an impact - in the PowerPlay overs, primarily.

MI will be hoping for that against a side that has shown a lot of promise despite the reversal in the result the previous game at home. With the likes of Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar with the bat, while Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suyash Sharma follow with the ball...Royal Challengers have raised the hopes of their ever so loyal fans for the season.

What to expect: Mumbai's red-soil pitches are known to be batting-friendly, a factor further amplified by the small boundaries. The contest is expected to produce copious amounts of runs, with the key question being whether dew will play a role. The chasing team is likely to have the advantage, but how significant that advantage turns out to be will depend on the level of moisture on the grass on Monday night.

Mumbai Indians

Injury & Availability: Jasprit Bumrah will finally be available for MI, the team management has confirmed. However, some uncertainty still surrounds Rohit Sharma's fitness after he missed the previous match after being hit on the knee in the nets. Tilak Varma, who was also on the injury list, is expected to be fit for the game - just as he was in the previous match.

Tactics & Match-ups: Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult, both known for consistently striking in the PowerPlay, are likely to continue to wield the new ball. This could leave Jasprit Bumrah to operate in the middle and at the death, with young Ashwani Kumar possibly left out of the XI. Vignesh Puthur may be brought in as a tactical option to counter big-hitters like Liam Livingstone while Bumrah, in the death overs, could be the right man to stop big-hitting Tim David with his toe-crushers.

Probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Vignesh Puthur

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injury & Availability: Tim David confirmed that there is no information of any injuries to the team.

Tactics & Match-ups: RCB's default strategy should be enough to begin with against MI. With Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar opening the bowling, they will have enough ammunition to counter the MI openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. Spinner Suyash Sharma will have to tackle the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya.

Probable XII: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, BHuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma

Did you know?

- MI picked up four wickets in the PowerPlay against KKR while in the other three games they have just one, largely thanks to Boult's struggles.

- Each of Hardik's five wickets against LSG have come off hard lengths and seven wickets by him off these lengths is the most by a seamer in IPL 2025 so far.

- Tim David has the highest strike rate (220.83) in death overs (16-20) for anyone who faced at least 20 balls in this phase in IPL 2025.

Big picture - Bumrah available, Rohit set to return

One of the running jokes of the IPL over its 18 seasons is that Mumbai Indians have needed the month of May to truly kick into gear. With the tournament usually starting in April in the early years, MI would typically lose a few games before getting back to winning ways in May. While the timelines may have shifted over the years, MI have continued to start slowly, and that's been the case in IPL 2025 too. With three defeats in four outings so far, they are getting close to danger territory. Teams typically need at least 16 points from their 14 league games to be in contention for the playoffs, and time may be running out for the five-time champions.

One bit of news will brighten the mood around the MI camp significantly, though. Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection. If any one player can transform a team's fortunes all by himself, it's Bumrah.

What he can't do, however, is fix MI's batting issues. In three of their four matches, their opening partnership has not lasted beyond the second over. Rohit Sharma's run of lean scores aside, MI have yet to settle on a batting order. Naman Dhir, one of their bright spots from last season and for whom they used the right-to-match card at the auction, batted at No. 7 in two games before scoring a 24-ball 46 at No. 3 in their last outing against Lucknow Super Giants. With Rohit set to return after missing that game with a knee injury, Will Jacks could move back to one-drop, which would push Dhir further down.

While Suryakumar Yadav's form has been a consolation for MI, Tilak Varma has looked scratchy enough to get retired out, and Hardik Pandya hasn't been setting the death overs on fire. And there are questions over MI's firepower - or lack thereof - lower down the order. On the eve of their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, head coach Mahela Jayawardene didn't sound too worried. "I want to be more flexible with the batting order given where we are and the talent and skill we have," he said in Mumbai on Sunday. "As long as we have productivity from those guys in different positions, it will give us advantage going forward."

MI's opponents on Monday, RCB, are one of the form teams so far this season. They are coming off a loss to Gujarat Titans at home but have won both their away games. That run has included a win at Chepauk for the first time since 2008. RCB have beaten MI only three times at the Wankhede, and haven't done so even once since 2015. With a unit in strong early-season form, with four of their batters having already scored half-centuries, this could be their best chance of ending that run.

New loyalties

Tim David, Reece Topley and Romario Shepherd, all of whom played for MI last season, are with RCB this season. Topley and Shepherd are yet to get a game in IPL 2025. Will Jacks, who hit a century for RCB last year, now features regularly for MI.

The big question

Naman Dhir scored an impressive 24-ball 46 after being promoted to No. 3 against LSG. With Rohit Sharma set to return, though, Will Jacks could move back to No. 3 and push Dhir down the order. Is that the way MI should go?

Mumbai Indians

Bumrah and Rohit - who had a near-30-minute batting stint at the nets on Sunday - are set to return, with Ashwani Kumar and Raj Bawa - who did not bat or bowl against LSG - likely to make way.

Likely XII (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Vignesh Puthur.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Virat Kohli was not at training on match eve. RCB are expected to go in unchanged, the only point of contention being whether they need an extra spinner. If they decide to pick one, they could bring in either Suyash Sharma or Swapnil Singh in place of Rasikh Salam.

Likely XII (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Tim David, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Rasikh Salam/Suyash Sharma.