Indian Premier League 2019 Match 31, Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Preview, likely XIs, predictions

Mumbai Indians will host Royal Challengers Bangalore in Match 31 of IPL 2019 at Wankhede Stadium on April 15. Mumbai have won 4 out of their 7 matches, while Bangalore have won only 1 out of 7, and are placed last in the table.

While Mumbai have easily been the better of the two sides, Bangalore may find some solace from the face that they have won their last match, against Kings XI Punjab. Mumbai, on the other hand, had lost their last match, against Rajasthan Royals, still second in the table.

The Mumbai batsmen have delivered, but the top-order and the middle-order have seldom performed together this time. Led by Jasprit Bumrah, the bowling has been potent but rarely consistent. They need to put their act together.

Bangalore’s batting has depended heavily on Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Parthiv Patel (only two others have crossed 50 in the tournament); among bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal (11) is the only one who has got 5 or more. In other words, there have been team efforts, but they have rarely got their act together as a unit.

Head to head

Mumbai have won 15 and lost 9 in head-to-head encounters. This includes one-each last year and a Mumbai win this year, at Chinnaswamy. Mumbai had scored 187/8 that night, powered by Rohit Sharma (48 in 33) and Hardik Pandya (32* in 14) as Umesh Yadav took 2/26.

Bangalore finished on 181/5 (Bumrah 3/20) despite de Villiers’s 41-ball unbeaten 70 and Kohli’ 32-ball 46. The match ended amidst controversy, as S Ravi failed to spot Lasith Malinga’s overstepping in the last ball.

Mumbai had scored 213/6 (Rohit 95 in 52, Evin Lewis 65 in 42) at Wankhede last year. Bangalore responded with 167/8 despite Kohli (92* in 62) batting through the 20 overs, against Krunal Pandya (3/28), Mitchell McClenaghan (2/24), and Bumrah (2/28).

Bangalore scored 167 again at Wankhede, thanks to Manan Vohra’s 31-ball 45. Then Tim Southee (2/25), Mohammed Siraj (2/28), Umesh (2/29), and Chahal (4-0-23-0) restricted Mumbai to 153/7.

Key players

Rahul Chahar (Mumbai Indians): More efficient than destructive, Chahar has been Mumbai’s go-to spinner in a lineup of fast bowlers. His economy rate of 6.64 is the best for Mumbai (even better than Bumrah’s 7.01), and he has shown he is capable of bowling at any point of time during the innings.

Navdeep Saini (Royal Challengers Bangalore): It is not every day that an unknown Indian fast bowler hurries batsmen with pace on pitches that are anything but quick, but Saini has been doing exactly that. The wickets have not come, but the bouncers have – and that economy of 7.50 stands out in an otherwise unimpressive Bangalore attack.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Alzarri Joseph, Rahul CHahar, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Moeen Ali, Akshdeep Nath (wk), Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini.

Predictions

Mumbai, the stronger all-round side, to prevail at home.