The fag end of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is bound to deliver some of the most high-octane cricketing action, and it will be no different today when Mumbai Indians (MI) host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium.
The star-studded contest takes on further significance because both teams are level on the points board with 10 points.
There is no doubt that the match will reach the levels of intensity anticipated at the business end of the game. Both would be attempting to escape the tangle in the middle of the table.
RCB raced to a comfortable eight-wicket win in the reverse fixture a little over a month ago, but MI have done well to recover from their poor start to enter in contention for a playoff spot.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the predicted lineups, the best players, and the most important matchups in this game.
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Predicted lineups for MI vs RCB
MI: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Jofra Archer, Arshad Khan, Piyush Chawla, Kumar Kartikeya
RCB: Faf du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Kedar Jadhav, Suyash Prabhudessai, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj
Best batsmen from MI vs RCB
Suryakumar Yadav (MI): SKY just loves to play against RCB, having played several match-winning knocks against them. Although he failed to get going against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in MI's previous match, he'll be keen to get a big score against one of his favourite IPL opponents.
Faf du Plessis (RCB): The Orange Cap holder has scored 511 runs in 10 games this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. He scored a belligerent half-century against MI in their first game of IPL 2023, which the fragile MI bowling lineup will be wary of.
Virat Kohli (RCB): King Kohli has played the perfect foil to his opening partner Faf du Plessis by complementing the South African's aggressive approach at the start of the innings. Although his strike rate can be a cause of concern sometimes (419 runs at a strike rate of 135.16 this season), he holds the RCB batting lineup together like a glue and plays according to the situation.
Best bowlers from MI vs RCB
Piyush Chawla (MI): The veteran leggie is having his best IPL season, having already matched his best wickets tally from 2008 (17 wickets) with at least four more games to go. He is fourth in the Purple Cap list and has been among the most economical bowlers this campaign. Chawla will once again be key to stopping the likes of Glenn Maxwell from wreaking havoc in the middle overs.
Mohammed Siraj (RCB): It has been quite a story for Siraj at RCB as he has gone from being trolled on the internet for bowling poor spells to becoming the lynchpin of RCB's bowling lineup. He has taken 15 wickets so far this season and has been very economical too. RCB will hope Siraj can provide the early inroads once again.
Harshal Patel (RCB): Although Harshal Patel has leaked runs aplenty this season, his ability to read the pitch and bowl accordingly, as well as the knack of picking wickets at crucial junctures, make him a wicked weapon for any side. He has 12 wickets from 10 games this season.
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Key battles from MI vs RCB
Piyush Chawla vs Virat Kohli: Two of the most in-form players in their respective departments will hold the key to their sides fortunes. Kohli's struggles against spin in recent years have been well documented and Chawla could very well fancy getting a big one in the middle overs before Kohli can go all guns blazing.
Rohit Sharma vs Mohammed Siraj: One of the most out-of-form openers, Rohit, will have to face one of the most lethal powerplay bowlers this season in Siraj. The MI skipper has scored just 184 runs in 10 matches and Siraj will hope to further pile on to Rohit's misery.
