Mumbai batsmen
Mumbai can field the number one team as all the players have passed the Kovid test. Quanton de Kok, meanwhile, will not play in the first game as he is on quarantine. Rohit Sharma and Chris Lynn will be the openers. In the absence of D Kok, Ishant Kishan will play as the wicket-keeper. Suryakumar Yadav will go down to number four.
Mumbai bowlers
The Mumbai Indians have a good list of all-rounders. They played a crucial role in making Mumbai champions last season and will play their first match this season. Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Jimmy Neesham are the all-rounders in the team. While Rahul Chahar will be the specialist spinner, Jaspreet Bumra and Trent Bolt will join the team with a strong pace.
RCB batsmen
The RCB batting line-up is set to have Virat Kohli as the opener. Devadatta Padikkal should go down with Koli. However, there are indications that Malayalee player Mohammad Azharuddin will make his debut as he has been released from Kovid and is in quarantine. AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell will continue to bat.
RCB’s bowling line-up
Bangalore’s return with some changes to last season’s weak bowling line-up. Kyle Jamison, Kane Richardson, Mohammad Siraj, Daniel Sams, Daniel Christian, Yusvendra Chahal and Washington Sunder are the key bowlers. Daniel Sams will be out for the first two games due to a Kovid injury. Bangalore will win against Mumbai if they bowl well.
Debut of Muhammad Azharuddin
Newcomers may not have a chance in the Mumbai team. At the same time, the Bangalore line-up will undergo a major overhaul, unlike last season. Along with Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamison and Daniel Christian, Malayalee player Mohammad Azharuddin will also play for Bangalore this time. Another Malayalee star Sachin Baby is also in RCB.
The spinners will write the verdict
The main battle will be between Mumbai’s batting and Bangalore’s bowling. The pitch in Chennai is expected to support the spin. In that case, the performance of the spinners of both the teams will be crucial. RCB is expected to benefit from having a part-time spinner like Glenn Maxwell.
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