IPL 2017 Preview: Royal Challengers Bangalore look to regain momentum against in-form Mumbai Indians at home

Virat Kohli will be back in the Royal Challengers Bangalore line up as they take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians at home..

One of the most awaited matches of this season’s Indian Premier League is all set to unfold when Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli takes the center stage at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The Bangalore franchise suffered a number of set backs prior to the start of cash-rich league. Captain Virat and South African batsman AB de Villiers had to sit out in the initial stages of the competition which saw RCB’s decline in the points table while opener KL Rahul’s ruling out of IPL 2017 was another set back for them. Kohli missed out the first three matches for RCB after sustaining a shoulder injury during India’s Test match against Australia in Ranchi.

What’s in the kitty

The RCB side now looks pretty balanced with the return of skipper Virat Kohli and Proteas cricketer AB de Villiers in the top order. Moreover, Bangalore are playing at home and the kind of game play they show at Chinnaswamy Stadium is dominant.

Mumbai Indians who generally bank upon their young players are looking in form with players like Nitish Rana, Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya stepping up to take the responsibilities. Nitish Rana and Krunal’s form has been outstanding in the contest.

Limitations

Bangalore bowlers haven’t been able to click and produce the kind of stuff that they are capable of. Moreover, the dependence on Kohli and de Villiers can create a lot of pressure on the team and eventually lead to negative results.

Players to watch

Virat Kohli who makes a comeback in this game will be expected to produce a good knock and announce his comeback in style. In the last edition too, he smashed a hundred after getting stitches on hand and eventually ended up with four tons.

Meanwhile, Nitish Rana and Krunal Pandya are silently making a mark in this competition. They have already played some match-winnings knocks for their Mumbai Indians franchise and will be the ones to watch out for.