RCB vs MI 5th Match Prediction

RCB vs MI Team Previews

Royal Challengers Bangalore

The Royal Challengers Bangalore was the second-most expensive franchise during the 2008 auctions. Over the seasons, despite including some of the biggest superstars of international cricket and one of the most loyal fan bases in the IPL, the team hasn’t been able to lift the trophy.

The team has managed to reach the playoffs in each of the last 3 seasons and will hope to build up on that momentum this time around.

Faf du Plessis will once again lead the team and he has a potent arsenal of world-class players at his disposal. Virat Kohli will undoubtedly be the team’s most important batsman in the team and RCB will be relieved that he has finally gained good form and got some runs under his belt in the build-up to this season and they will expect him to play some match-winning innings.

Glenn Maxwell has recovered from his injury and is likely to be available for the entire season. However, the injuries of Rajat Patidar and Josh Hazlewood come as a big setback for the team. Patidar was the 3rd highest scorer for the team in the previous season and is likely to remain unavailable at least for a couple of weeks. He will be replaced by either Finn Allen or Anuj Rawat at the top of the order while Dinesh Kartik will once again take up the role of a finisher.

In absence of Hazlewood, the new-ball duties will fall on Mohammad Siraj and Harshal Patel, while the inclusion of Reece Topley gives du Plessis an extra seam option. Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga missed out on the Purple Cap in the last season by just 1 wicket and will be eager to claim it this time around and his presence also adds depth to the batting.

In addition to these, du Plessis has a lot of bowling options at his disposal as the squad includes the likes of Siddharth Kaul, Karn Sharma, as well as Michael Bracewell at his disposal.

Mumbai Indians

The Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchise in the history of the IPL, lifting the title for a record 5 times. However, they had a terrible time in the last season, finishing at the bottom of the points table and failing to make it to the playoffs for a second consecutive time.

Things are a bit shaky for the Mumbai Indians this season too, as some of their top performers over the years are unavailable. Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the entire season due to an injury and Jhye Richardson too will join him in the infirmary. In their absence, Jofra Archer will shoulder much of the pace duties but he doesn’t have much support in the form of quality local seam bowlers.

Jason Behrendorff is likely to be his new-ball partner and that means the team will have to bench an overseas batsman to accommodate him. The Indians are also lacking in the spin department, where they might have to rely on inexperienced bowlers like Shams Mulani and Hrithik Shokeen While the team has a strong top order thanks to the likes of Rohit Sharma, Surya Kumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan, the departure of Kieron Pollard leaves a big dent lower down the order.

Tim David is expected to take up the role of a finisher in the team but he lacks the all-round abilities of Pollard. The Mumbai Indians do have some big hitters in the form of Cameron Green and Tristan Stubbs and it will be interesting to see how they will be used in the tournament.