After a slow start to IPL 2015, Mumbai Indians (MI) have shown great form of late winning five matches on a trot and will be looking for a sixth consecutive victory when they square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Despite being in top form, MI cannot let their gear down against RCB, who are one of the strongest teams in the competition. RCB will be a confident unit after they demolished Kings XI Punjab in their last fixture, winning the game by 138 runs.
RCB bowlers and batsmen came to the party against Kings XI Punjab and the same will also be expected at Wankhede.
One can expect an entertaining game with a number of top class players in both the ranks. Here is a look at some players, who can lighten up the atmosphere with their skills.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Chris Gayle: The left-hander is one of the most destructible IPL players and his match-winning knock of 117 of 57 balls against Kings XI Punjab in their last game proved us why. The batsman hits sixes at will and when he strikes the ball, it normally goes a fair distance. With a strike rate of 160, the batsman has amassed 357 runs in eight IPL matches this season and the form he showed in the last match, expect some more entertainment from the Caribbean star.
Mitchell Starc: The Australian was sorely missed by RCB in the first few games, but after the Aussie bowler started playing RCB have looked a different team altogether. The left-arm pacer has been one of the best bowlers in the tournament. In just seven matches this season, he has picked up 15 wickets with an average of eight, which is truly astonishing. The Australian bowler has not given away easy runs and has bowled beautifully with the new ball taking early wickets. In the death overs, too, he has been the go-to man for RCB skipper Virat Kohli.
Mumbai Indians
Ambati Rayudu: MI consist of a number of world-class batsmen, but Rayudu has stood out with his consistency. The batsman has played some meaningful innings and has played as per the situation demands. With players such as Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard in the middle order, the Indian can play with controlled aggression. He has amassed 219 runs in the competition with a strike rate of 142.20. He has struck 11 sixes for MI.
Rohit Sharma: By a long distance, the MI skipper is the best batsmen for MI. The Indian is the third highest run scorer in the tournament with 361 runs against his name. He is one player who depends on his timing to clear the fence, hence most of his shots effortlessly sail over for huge sixes. RCB will consider his wicket as a prize scalp for the batsman has the potential of scoring a century even after coming into bat with the field restrictions over.
