When Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Mumbai Indians in Raipur on Sunday, they will need their batting group to recover its strength in order to end a two-match losing streak and restart their IPL campaign.
With four wins in their opening games of the season, the Royal Challengers were off to a fast start, and the playoff berth seemed like a formality.
The circumstances are different now. The title holders entered a minor mid-tournament crisis after losing three of their previous five games. With 12 points from 10 games, RCB is now third in the standings and is still well-positioned to advance to the knockout stage.
However, the Bengaluru team will undoubtedly be conscious of the fact that they have lost some momentum as the competition draws to a close.
Aside from that external factor, RCB will require the batting group to reestablish its range. The points table situation alone is a little concerning. The RCB batters were unable to score more than 155 on a little sticky Ahmedabad pitch against the Titans, and even the 9-run DLS margin loss to the Lucknow Super Giants was not as close as the score indicates.
In the last over, RCB needed to score 19 runs to cross the finish line, but they were unable to do so. The Mumbai attack, which includes Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, AM Ghazanfar, and Jasprit Bumrah, is now even more formidable, at least on paper, for the RCB hitters.
Pitch is a bit of an unknown quality, and Raipur is RCB’s designated home venue. On the weekend, the champions will need their hitters to perform at their highest level.
Jacob Bethell, who replaced an ailing Phil Salt, would be a great addition to RCB in that situation. However, his four appearances thus far have yielded scores of 14, 20, 5, and 4, depriving RCB’s opening combination of power and leaving Virat Kohli to do all the heavy lifting.
The diminished returns from wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, whose best score this season is 23, are also unsettling. He needs to defy the trend as soon as possible because it has somewhat damaged RCB’s late charge.
The MI lineup shown flashes of a golden past, effectively chasing down 228 against LSG in the most recent game, but RCB batting has its own setbacks. After an injury layoff, Rohit Sharma made his comeback with a scorching 84 off 44 balls, and the win provided them with a brief respite following a string of losses.
The powerful RCB new ball duo of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will need to be defeated by Rohit and his opening partner Ryan Rickelton.
Due to back spasms, Hardik Pandya was unable to play against Lucknow, so Suryakumar Yadav took over as captain. Pandya has traveled to Raipur, but before making a final decision regarding his availability for this match, his fitness will be meticulously observed.
RCB vs MI Head-to-Head:
In 37 meetings between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, RCB have won 15 matches — including one via Super Over — while MI have emerged victorious 21 times, with one game ending in no result.
RCB vs MI Pitch Report:
It is anticipated that the Raipur pitch will provide the batters with good assistance. During the power play, batters can frequently play offensive shots easily due to the new surface. But only when they hit in the proper places will pacers benefit from the pitch’s early assistance with the new ball. The track is probably going to be quite helpful to spinners. At this venue, the first-innings total is probably going to be between 165 and 180.
RCB vs MI Weather Report:
On Sunday evening, Raipur’s weather is scheduled to be partly cloudy and humid, with no rain expected throughout the match. Even though it will be a little hot for the evening game, the temperature should be between 28 and 30°C with moderate humidity.
RCB vs MI Probable XIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (captain), Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
FAQs:
When is the IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI scheduled?
The IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI is scheduled for Sunday, May 10, 2026.
What time does the IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI scheduled to start?
The IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI will start at 7:30 PM IST.
Where is the IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI scheduled to take place?
The IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI is scheduled to be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur.
Which TV channel will broadcast the IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI?
The IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI will be broadcast on Star Sports Network.
Where can one catch the live streaming of the IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI?
The live streaming of the IPL 2026 match between RCB and MI will be available on JioHotstar.
