Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, both yet to record a win in the second leg of the IPL, clash in Dubai on Sunday.
The teams will seek to find a quick fix to their batting woes. RCB stuttered to 156/6 in a loss to Chennai Super Kings on Friday, just a few days after being bowled out for 92 by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). MI has not fared much better, recording sub-par totals of 155/6 and 136/8 in its previous two outings.
Try out Hardik?
Skipper Rohit Sharma will be tempted to bring in explosive all-rounder Hardik Pandya, provided he is declared fit. The team is not short on firepower, with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard and Krunal Pandya in its ranks. A few big knocks from the star-studded line-up is sure to bring MI back to winning ways. RCB will have similarly high expectations from its experienced duo, A.B. de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell. Both batsmen have failed in this second leg, leading to the side’s struggle in the middle overs.
Captain Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal got fifties in the CSK outing, but the openers were unable to step on the gas after settling down. RCB and MI, with five and four wins in nine matches, need a good result here to build some momentum in the playoff race.
Match starts at 7.30 p.m. IST
