Mumbai Indians (MI) will host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on May 8, Tuesday in the Indian Premier League (IPL). MI are currently sixth in the table with 10 points, with RCB on the same amount of points but having a jump on the home side due to a better Net Run Rate, which sees the Challengers fifth in the league standings.
Both teams have participated in the tournament right from its inception in 2008, taking part in all 16 seasons. They have met each other 31 times with MI holding the bragging rights currently with 17 wins, as opposed to RCB's 14 wins. However, this season RCB has already defeated the home side once and may have the confidence to beat them once more being in slightly better form.
A win for both sides will be important at this stage of the campaign. A win for RCB would see them move up to third place temporarily, while a win for MI would do a lot for their morale and give them some hope of making it to the playoff stages.
MORE: How to watch IPL 2023 season online and on TV | Full list of players, teams for IPL 2023
Here is a comprehensive guide on the pitch report, live toss, predicted lineups and team news ahead of MI taking on RCB.
MI vs RCB pitch report
MI are set to take on RCB at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was built in 1974 and has a seating capacity of around 33,000 spectators.
The pitch at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is generally considered to be batting-friendly, especially in the limited-overs formats like T20s. The surface is usually flat, with a good amount of bounce and carry, which allows the batsmen to play their shots freely.
The boundaries at the Wankhede Stadium are relatively short, which further favours the batsmen. The dew factor in evening games can also come into play, making it easier for the team batting second to chase down a target.
However, there have been instances where the pitch has offered some assistance to the bowlers, particularly spinners, especially as the game progresses.
MI vs RCB live toss
MI skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first.
MORE: IPL 2023 best bets and odds
MI vs RCB team news
Rohit Sharma confirmed that Chris Jordan is making his debut for MI.
Faf du Plessis revealed Vyshak Vijaykumar came in the starting lineup in place of Karn Sharma.
MI vs RCB Confirmed lineups
MI: Rohit Sharma(C), SA Yadav, Tim David, C Green, Piyush Chawla, Arshad Khan, N Wadhera, Ishan Kishan(wk), Chris Jordan, K Kartikeya, J. Behrendroff
RCB: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj. Vyshak Vijaykumar, Harshal Patel.
MORE: Bet on MI vs RCB in IPL 2023
MI vs RCB: Probable Impact Players
MI: Tristan Subbs, Ramandeep Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Raghav Goyal, Vishnu Vinod
RCB: Kedar Jadhav, Michael Bracewell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed
Kedhar Jadhav came on as the impact player in place of Mahipal Lomror.
WATCH: 20 Greatest T20 Players Roundtable
