IPL 2017 | Preview Match 12: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians

IPL 2017 | Preview Match 12: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians

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IPL T20

RCB will be buoyed by the return of talismanic Virat Kohli when they take on Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium today. Kohli has been out of action since sustaining a shoulder injury in the third Test against Australia last month. MI, meanwhile, will look to their middle-order to fire.

Kohli and RCB have become synonymous, with the former largely responsible for the franchise's huge fan base despite the team never having won the crown in nine seasons. Kohli set several batting records last season, aggregating 973 runs including four centuries. AB de Villiers scored 687 as RCB raced to the final before falling to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the final hurdle.Ā Inconsistent bowling has been a cause for concern for RCB this season.

MI, meanwhile, are on a roll after victories overĀ Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers, Although Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard are yet to hit their stride, youngsters like Nitish Rana and Krunal Pandya have taken up the responsibility.

Head to Head

MI hold a slight edge at 11 to 8.

Last Meeting

Rohit-led Mumbai Indians prevailed over Kohli's side by six wickets in their previous meeting.

Predicted XI

RCB: Virat Kohli (c), Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Kedar Jadhav (wk), Shane Watson, Mandeep Singh, Stuart Binny, Pawan Negi, Iqbal Abdulla, Tymal Mills, Yuzvendra Chahal, Aniket Choudhary

MI:Ā Parthiv Patel (wk), Jos Buttler, Rohit Sharma (c), Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

Key Players:

Virat Kohli (RCB):Ā The India skipper had said he'd return only if he's 120 % fit. The kind of player that he is, Kohli will only need to middle a few deliveries to shake off the rustiness.

Hardik Pandya (MI):Ā The enterprising all-rounder could play a key role with his big shots, given that Chinnaswamy Stadium is a small boundary ground. Not to forget his sharp medium-pace.

Pre-match chatter

"Last year we won some really good matches away from home and that's why we reached the finals. In order to do that, that's the most important factor in the IPL. You need to win the away games. We know we play good cricket at home. But that's [away fixtures] something that will stay in focus for us through the season." - Virat Kohli.

"You must have seen both of them [the Pandya brothers] on the ground. They're very expressive. We've given them the liberty and freedom. I hope they keep continuing because it's a long tournament." - Rohit Sharma

Time: 4 PM

Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

TV Listings: Sony Six HD, Sony Six, Set Max, Sony ESPN

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