IPL 2024, MI vs RCB - Will The 'KGF' Steamroll MI?

RCB needs their 'KGF' to fire against MI [AP Photos]RCB needs their 'KGF' to fire against MI [AP Photos]

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be playing against the Mumbai Indians in the 25th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). The match will be played at the iconic Wankhede stadium on April 11th at 7:30 PM IST. 

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a decent start to the tournament with a win in the first two matches. But after that, they have lost their way and faced defeat in three consecutive games. The time is drawing near for RCB when they will have to depend on the result of the other games to qualify for the playoffs. The team management will hope that the situation does not go down to that. For that to happen, RCB need to overhaul MI in their next assignment, where they will be facing an MI team that has picked up a bit of rhythm with a convincing win in their last game against DC. 

RCB will hope that some of their big names besides Virat Kohli, step up and help them win this game. Here are three players who are the potential match-winners for RCB in this game.


Wankhede Stadium Ground Stats (IPL 2024)

Numbers
Stats
Matches2
Matches won batting first1
Matches won batting second1
Average first innings total187
Average second innings total178
Wickets by pacers
20
Wickets by spinners
5

The conditions at Wankhede are quite similar to those of M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The batters will enjoy the pace and bounce on this wicket, and they will get full value for their shots. However, the new ball bowlers will have a bit of help, and the top-order batters need to be careful in the initial phase. Once the threat of the new ball is dealt with, there will be plenty of runs for the batters on this wicket. 


Three Match-winners for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Virat Kohli

Given the Indian maverick's current form, he is an obvious match-winner for RCB in this game. Virat Kohli is currently the highest run-scorer in the tournament, with 361 runs in five innings. His average in the tournament is a staggering 105.33, alongside a more than decent strike rate of 146.29. 

Kohli is in great touch in IPL 2024, but besides his tournament numbers, there is another reason that he is a prime candidate to be a match-winner for RCB in this game. Kohli has scored 331 runs in 10 innings against MI while having a strike rate of 137.90 alongside an average of 47.30. 

Glenn Maxwell

The Australian all-rounder is having a terrible time with the bat in this tournament. Glenn Maxwell has scored just 32 runs in five innings in IPL 2024 at an average of 6.40. 

The RCB management will hope that he returns to form in this all-important game, and his numbers against MI at Wankhede will give them hope. In the five innings that Maxy has played against MI at the Wankhede, he has scored 179 runs at an average of 35.80 and a strike rate of 196.70. These numbers suggest that Maxwell might return to form in this game and establish himself as a match-winner for RCB. 

Faf du Plessis

The biggest problem for RCB in IPL 2024 has been the underperformance of their big guns. One such name is that of Faf du Plessis. Even though he has looked in a decent touch, Du Plessis has managed only 109 runs in five matches. However, his form returning in the last game will give RCB a glimmer of hope. 

Faf also has a decent record against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede. In six innings against MI at the venue, Faf has scored 195 runs at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 125. The numbers are decent, and they suggest that even though he might not emerge as the sole match-winner for RCB in the game, he will definitely play a big role in structuring the win if they are to achieve victory.