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THE TIMES OF INDIA | Apr 11, 2024, 18:28:12 IST
MI vs RCB IPL 2024 Live Score: Has the constant booing affected Hardik Pandya’s performance? His numbers and uncertainty over when he bats or bowls seems to suggest it has. In the opening match against Gujarat Titans, while chasing a target of 169, the Mumbai Indians skipper held himself back and came in at No. 7. In a high-scoring chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he pushed himself to No. 5. Against Rajasthan Royals, he batted at No. 6 before coming in at No. 4 in the last match against Delhi Capitals. In his first stint at MI, he had the role of a finisher. But during his two-year stint with GT, he mostly played at No. 4, sometimes No. 3, and mostly played the role of anchoring the innings before opening his shoulders towards the end. At MI, the batting line-up is well settled with the top three consisting of Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav and the finisher’s role being assigned to Tim David and Romario Shepherd, after his heroics in the last match. With most of the slots taken, Pandya will have to play a similar role for MI as he did as GT and decide quickly whether he wants to come in at No. 4 or 5, so that Tilak Varma also knows at which position he bats. We saw a glimpse of it when he walked at No. 4 against DC and held the innings from spiralling out of control when MI had lost four quick wickets. So don’t be surprised henceforth if he walks in at that number. So far, things haven’t gone Pandya’s way. In the chases against GT and SRH, he couldn’t get the team over the line and that Pandya finishing touch, which earned him his stripes during his first stint with MI, was missing. Maybe, because he is coming back after a long break, he is still feeling his way back. Before the IPL, he last played in the 2023 ODI World Cup where he injured his ankle during the match against Bangladesh. Australia allrounder Tim David backed Pandya to come good. “Yeah, we've had conversations about how we played. Hardik has been playing a really important role for our team. If you look at the last match, we struggled really hard for momentum towards the back end and Hardik played perfectly and it set the platform for myself and Romario. Hardik’s been phenomenal in the way he’s been playing and that's what we need at some point. Sometimes it will be me, sometimes other guys. We have full faith in him. We know he has the power and when he gets into that situation he is going to win the game for us,” said David. The uncertainty has creeped in his bowling as well. He bowled in the first two games but hasn’t rolled his arm over since. In the last match against DC, Shepherd bowled his full quota of four overs and ended up conceding 54 runs. MI could have done with Pandya bowling an over or two as it could have given them more variation on a track that stayed true throughout the match. It's crucial for MI that their skipper starts bowling again starting with the encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. If one takes away Jasprit Bumrah’s spell against DC, where he conceded just 22 runs in four overs and took two wickets, MI’s attack looks a bit pedestrian and they will be served well if Pandya bowls regularly if not the full quota. For that to happen, Pandya will have to cancel the outside noise and focus on the process that has brought him much success. It will be a must-win encounter for both the teams to keep their playoffs hopes alive. MI have just two points after four matches while RCB have equal number of points but have played one match more.
IPL Live Score - Surya in focus
Suryakumar Yadav's return amid a lot of attention ended in a damp squib, but the world's no. 1 T20 batter would be itching to hit the strides and get a big score. Romario Shepherd's blitz against Anrich Nortje for 32 runs in an over clearly proved to be the difference against DC, since the visitors managed to go past the 200-run mark despite not looking threatening enough while chasing an imposing 235-run target.
IPL Live Score - Will booing of Hardik continue?
But it would be imperative for MI not to get too far ahead, since they also have their share of concerns. Even though Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have set the scoring tempo at the top, the middle-order has failed to carry the momentum for which skipper Hardik Pandya is answerable to a large extent. It remains to be seen if the anger of MI fans against Pandya persists when he takes the field next, as he got some respite in their last game which was attended by thousands of children and not regular supporters.
IPL Live Score - Slow starters MI
MI would know present circumstances provide them with a ripe opportunity to build up on their recent success and move further up in the points table after a rough start. For a side which invariably starts IPL with a few losses, MI know their way around these lanes. A contest against a floundering RCB could bring about their second win on the trot and some further boost in confidence, before facing defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
IPL Live Score - Head-to-head
However RCB recent record against MI will give them confidence as they have won four of their last five games. The overall record in 32 matches, however, is tilted in favour of the five-time champions, who enjoy 18 wins against RCB's 14.
IPL Live Score - Bowling attack a worry
Any bowling attack would be left searching for answers if one of their part-timers is topping the list of wicket-takers. And in RCB's case, whose bowling looked threadbare even before they hit the ground running, Glenn Maxwell's four scalps neither provide any respite nor assurance.
IPL Live Score - Kohli's midas touch
Virat Kohli's imperious form -- 316 runs with one century and two fifties at a strike rate of 146.29 -- has been the lone bright spot for RCB. With the memories of his 50th ODI century in the World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium just five months ago still fresh, Kohli would be keen to flourish again at the same venue tonight.
IPL Live Score - RCB overseas stars need to fire!
Virat Kohli's brilliance, notwithstanding, RCB's campaign is under threat of falling apart even before they could register enough wins to have a real shot at the knockouts. With the halfway mark of the ongoing IPL approaching rapidly, it is imperative for RCB's overseas stars, including skipper Faf du Plessis (109 runs), Glenn Maxwell (32) and Cameron Green (68) to find form.
IPL Live Score - Poor start to season for both teams
Four losses in five matches have not only vindicated how poor RCB were in the last IPL auction, but they have also missed the opportunity to make it up with better on-field showing. However, there is nothing much to separate the two teams as RCB are just a rung below MI in the points table at the ninth position with MI winning just one (29-run victory over Delhi Capitals) out of their four games so far.
IPL Live Score - Desperate times for RCB, MI
Desperate Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be under tremendous pressure to get their act together against an equally struggling Mumbai Indians when the two teams face-off in a crucial clash at the Wankhede.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 25 of the Indian Premier League where Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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