Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Betting Tips –
- Mumbai Indians have an excellent record against Royal Challengers Bangalore and have won the last eight out of ten games between the two sides.
- Mumbai Indians’ batting is strong, with Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav on the side.
- Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowling is weak, and apart from Yuzvendra Chahal, none of their bowlers intimidate batters.
Match Preview
Fans can keep aside all cricket action worldwide as the mother of all cricketing tournaments, Indian Premier League 2021, starts on April 09. From the bettors’ point of view, no other contest sees this level of competition and excitement, as does the IPL. The best players worldwide share the dressing rooms and battle it out for cricket’s most coveted trophy. In the past 13 seasons, the tournament has seen the best T20 players showcase their skills and become legends. For punters, these six weeks also offer maximum rewards with billions of dollars stacked during the season.
If you are looking for the best IPL predictions starting with the season opener between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, you have come to the right place. Returning to the game, Mumbai Indians have been blazing all guns in the last few seasons and have won the title thrice in the previous five seasons. The side would want to continue with the same momentum here. However, for all the talent and fan following that RCB has, the title has eluded them. Though the side is going into the game with a solid batting line-up, their bowling attack doesn’t look to have the strength to guide them to a title win.
This is the season’s first game, and hence there would be pressure on both teams. However, given the star power, both these sides have, we expect this one to be an interesting contest where neither of the sides is expected to make it easy for the opponent.
Mumbai Indians Preview
Rohit Sharma would be confident when he leads his side’s title defense in the tournament’s first game. They have dominated the last two seasons of the match, and Sharma would be looking to start with a big win. They have an excellent record against RCB, and the skipper would like his side to take confidence from that here.
They have the strongest batting outfit, with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock at the top of the batting order. They would look to provide a good start here. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan were excellent last season in the middle order, and the side would have high hopes for them this year. With their hitting abilities down the order, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Krunal Pandya make this an extremely formidable line-up.
The site has a powerful bowling attack with Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult opening the bowling, and they would be aiming for early wickets in this game as RCB has firepower at the top. Jayant Yadav and Nathan Coulter-Nile also did well last year. With Pollard, Krunal, and Hardik in the mix, the side has good depth in its bowling.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview
The site has never been short of talent, but on Virat Kohli’s side, the title eludes them. Kohli would like to put the failures of the past behind them and look for a better show from his side this season. They need to make a positive start, and winning over Mumbai Indians would do the world of good to their confidence.
The side would look for a positive start from Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. The latter showed sparks of brilliance, and there would be huge responsibilities on his shoulders. They have a strong middle order with AB de Villiers and young sensation Rajat Patidar on the side. Down the order, the side would look for big hits from Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell, and Daniel Christian.
Their bowling attack has let the side down in most seasons, and the team would expect a good start from Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar. Yuzvendra Chahal will have to play an important role in being the most successful bowler for the side. Navdeep Saini, Christian, and Adam Zampa would be expected to keep the line tight during the middle overs.
Our Prediction
Mumbai Indians have been known for being nervous starters and have the habit of losing their first game of the season. But Rohit would want to get over that and start with a good win. He has a strong bunch of players going into the game, which would make him confident. Royal Challengers have a strong batting line-up, but their bowling attack lets them down. It is the season’s first game, and there would be pressure on both sides, but Mumbai Indians would have a slight edge going into the game.
Our Prediction is for Mumbai Indians to win this game.