IPL 10: Match 12, RCB vs MI: Mumbai Indians Predicted XI

2 points would be vital for both the teams at this stage of the Tournament and the winner, unfortunately, could only be one of them. This fixture between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians has always been a pulsating one, not for the weak-hearted.

Mumbai Indians have bounced off the wall after their first match resulted in a loss against their neighbors in the Maharashtra-derby. They have won the next two consecutive games convincingly against both the Kolkata Knight Riders and the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The Mumbaikars led by Rohit Sharma have lit the tournament on fire with their supreme batting effort and their stringent bowling led by the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. With both the batting and the bowling department clicking at the right time, the Indians go into the next stage of the Tournament as trophy-favourites with their impeccable display.

The form of their captain Rohit Sharma would be the one worry that the team would ponder upon as the captain is the backbone of this heavy batting department. Rohit Sharma has failed to recover his form that he possessed before his freak injury before the IPL.

Coach Mahela Jayawardena is leading the team upfront in only his first season as a coach for any team. He has had a few issues to solve with the injury of their key batsman Ambati Rayadu in the second game of the tournament. However, the issues have been put aside by the young Delhi batsman Nitish Rana’s form.

The Delhiite has been in the form of his life with consistent displays in the tournament thus far. It would be interesting to see where the young batsman plays when the senior batsman Ambati Rayadu returns to the side. The bowling department too has been brilliantly led by the young Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah alongside the help from the experienced off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who too has shone in the tournament.

Here is a look at the predicted playing XI for Mumbai Indians:

Parthiv Patel:

The experienced Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has been a star performer for the side not only with his powerful strokes during the powerplay but also outside of the powerplay. The wicketkeeper has managed to pull strings from one end of the pitch when the Mumbaikars have lost a wicket on the other end.

The keeper has come back into form at the right moment for the Indians after his cheap dismissals in the first two games of the tournament. Additionally, the wicket keeper has also been in prime form behind the wickets with his Spiderman-like reflexes.

Jos Buttler:

Apart from the opening game brilliance, the English batsman has not been able to light up the Tournament with his powerful strokes all around the park.

The opening game against the Rising Pune Supergiant saw the Englishman put across a powerful message with his incredible stroke making. The opener since then has put up a fiasco with lackluster performances in the following two games.

It is high time that the Englishman comes back to form to hold on to his place in the Indians’ squad.

Rohit Sharma:

Mumbai Indians’ skipper and the pillar of strength for the Mumbai team has struggled thus far in the tournament with a bat in his hand. The captain has helped the team to two consecutive wins with his brilliance in the field with the fielding arrangements and the bowling changes.

With the Champions Trophy right around the corner, it is high time that the Mumbaikar brings his A-game to the fore in order to stand a chance to get into the Indian team for the Champions Trophy.

Nitish Rana:

The Delhi all-rounder has been the find of the Tournament thus far with his impeccable performances with the bat. He has led the Mumbai Indians team to consecutive victories with the bat in his hand.

Nitish Rana, who is also the contender for the emerging player of the Tournament has been able to live up to the expectation in the early stage of the Tournament and would like to continue his golden run.

Kieron Pollard:

The big West Indian all-rounder has not put up worthy performances to feature in the Mumbai Indians XI, neither with his bat nor with the ball in his hand.

When put to task, the all-rounder has failed to lead his team over the winning line in the first game against Steve Smith’s Rising Pune Supergiant.

In the next two consecutive games, the all-rounder has surrendered and succumbed to the pressure giving away his wicket at crucial moments which did not result in a loss for the side, but it is not a good sign for an experienced cricketer.

The all-rounder has performed better on Twitter than he has on the field thus far.

Krunal Pandya:

Baroda has often provided the Indian team with good all-rounders in the form of Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan. Baroda has now provided the Mumbai Indians with the Pandya brothers who are both capable of batting as well as bowling crucial overs for any sides.

Krunal Pandya has convinced the Mumbai Indians’ management that he is ready to step up with the management giving him the opportunity to bat up the order ahead of his younger brother Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya:

The other Pandya brother in this team has also lit the tournament with his pace-bowling and his death over marauding of the bowlers. He has absolutely smashed the bowlers to all sides of the park with monstrous sixes and flying boundaries.

The all-rounder has also performed well with the ball in his hand picking up wickets at crucial moments in the game. His fielding has been an add-on for the already strong Mumbai fielding unit.

Harbhajan Singh:

The 36-year-old offie has come back to form with his performance against the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad. His 2-24 was enough to rattle out the pace in which the Sunrisers openers were batting.

His form would come in handy for the already strong Mumbai Indians unit, and Rohit Sharma would be pleased with the experience of the off-spinner.

Lasith Malinga:

Lasith Malinga and death overs have always been the love story of the Indian Premier League, only narrowly losing out to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s relationship with the death overs.

The Sri Lankan pacer has been called upon by Rohit Sharma whenever the latter is in dire need of a wicket, and the Sri Lankan never fails to give back what is needed by the Indian batsman. His deathly toe-crushers and the slower ones would be helpful for the team as the Tournament gains momentum.

Mitchell McClenaghan:

The bowler from New Zealand has been Mumbai’s top bowler from the last year’s tournament. Since the last year, the Kiwi bowler has been able to put fabulous performances for the Mumbaikars.

The bowler from New Zealand is also capable of a few lusty blows with the bat in his hand apart from his wicket taking ability with the ball.

Jasprit Bumrah:

The Indian bowler has been one of the finds from the Tournament for the Indian team. He has outshone the entire team with his fabulous display of pace bowling combined with his deadly accurate yorkers.

Additionally, the right-arm pacer also possesses the unique ability to deceive the batsmen with his slower deliveries which he bowls with the same action. It becomes incredibly difficult for the opposition to pick the length and the line of the Indian bowler.