IPL Match 48: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Prediction and Prediction

After suffering two defeats in the last three matches, Mumbai Indians suddenly look a lot more mortal than they did 10 or so days ago. They’re still undoubtedly strong, but their defeats came to teams who were, at the time of their games, near or at the bottom of the table, which clearly showed some chinks in the defending champions’ much touted armour. In the other corner of the ring for their next match are Royal Challengers Bangalore. They also come in on the back of a defeat to a bottom team, and will be looking to seize this chance to get to the top of the table. Whoever wins this one will gain a very strong advantage as we head into the death overs of the league stage. Buckle your seatbelts because this will be a rough race. While the two competitors rev up, let’s take a look at what’s under their hoods.

Mumbai Indians Preview & Form

With the exception of Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011, no team has won the IPL two years in a row - not even Mumbai with their record four titles. This year, they stand a strong chance to pull off that feat, and pull away from CSK and the others in terms of trophy count. In their last match, though, they were surprised by Rajasthan Royals. After putting up a powerful 195 thanks largely to Hardik Pandya’s rampage, Mumbai would have thought they had it in the bag. Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson, with 107 and 54 respectively, clearly thought otherwise, and dismantled MI’s all-star bowling lineup to reach the target with 10 balls and 8 wickets to spare. MI’s biggest enemy can be complacency, and they need to be careful going forward.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview & Form

It’s been a true journey of redemption from last place last season to essentially being tied for first in this one for RCB. Their arc could have been complete had they won against their old rivals, but it wasn’t to be. Batting too slowly for their own good, Kohli and co could only muster a tepid 145 from their 20 overs - a score that was limited further by Sam Curran’s 3 for 19. Through youngster Ruturaj Gaikwad’s excellent batting, CSK overcame the target with ease. Like MI, RCB must make sure they don’t take anything for granted - not even a team that seems to be completely hopeless.

MI vs RCB Match Prediction

Batting and bowling form for the Indians has been excellent for the most part this year, and this match shouldn’t be different. Expect Quinton de Kock and Hardik Pandya to score plenty of runs, while Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Chahar to pick up wickets.

The Royal Challengers have already proven their worth this year, but there’s still important goals to be achieved. Expect Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to keep doing what they do best, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Chris Morris follow suit.

Can Mumbai take a big step towards that elusive consecutive title? Or will RCB take a stride towards finally getting their name on the list of winners? Find out on Wednesday!