Mumbai, Apr 11 (UNI) Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first and have opted for a strategic change by bringing in Shreyas Gopal into their playing XI, possibly to strengthen their bowling attack or to exploit any weaknesses in the opposition’s batting lineup.
Suryakumar Yadav’s absence from the starting lineup is notable, but as mentioned, he could prove to be a valuable impact sub if needed against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 25th match of IPL 2024 at Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.
On the other hand, Bengaluru have made three changes, with Will Jacks making his debut and Mahipal Lomror and Vijaykumar Vyshak returning to the team. This indicates Bengaluru’s willingness to experiment and find the right combination. This could make it tricky to predict their impact sub, as it will depend on the match situation and which players are performing well.
At the toss, Mumbai Captain Hardik Pandya spoke about the importance of a strong start and maintaining pressure throughout the game, emphasising the team’s confidence despite no individual player reaching 50 runs in their previous match.
Faf du Plessis, captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, expressed the need for changes in their approach, giving opportunities to new players while aiming for consistency.
Both teams are facing a crucial match, given their disappointing performances so far in the IPL season. Mumbai broke their losing streak in their previous match, while Bengaluru is struggling with three consecutive losses.
With playoff hopes still alive, both teams must secure victories, starting from this match. Bengaluru may need to rethink their strategies, possibly prioritising current form over past performances and adapting their batting order to suit the T20 style.
Meanwhile, Mumbai will aim to build on their recent success and maintain momentum.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, Akash Madhwal
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Reece Topley, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
