On 26th September, heavyweights Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians will clash in the 39th match of the campaign. The game will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams have lost both their matches held in the UAE so far and hence, they will be looking to win this encounter and strengthen their position on the points table. Having won IPL 2020 in the UAE, Mumbai will be keen to soon make a mark. In this article, we talk about two changes Mumbai Indians should make against RCB to get back to winning ways in IPL 2021.
1) Hardik Pandya for Krunal Pandya
One of the changes Mumbai Indians should make against RCB is to bring in Hardik Pandya in place of his brother Krunal. Of course, this is subject only to Hardik’s availability. MI must make a few bold calls, and although Krunal has enjoyed his previous outings against RCB, his current form is too mediocre.
With the ball, Krunal is hardly taking any wickets and against CSK on September 19th, he allowed CSK to get off the hook with his underwhelming deliveries. Krunal has also struggled to make an impact with the bat, despite getting a decent chance in both games. Hence, Hardik would be suitable to come in place of Krunal and improve the batting strength. Hardik’s game would suit against the RCB bowlers, who are down on morale at the moment.
2) Jayant Yadav for Saurabh Tiwary
Although Saurabh Tiwary scored a fifty against CSK, that knock was in a losing cause. His approach never felt like he was helping the team chase the total. Hence, in place of him, Rohit Sharma could try drafting in Jayant Yadav.
Mumbai might need some variety in the spin department. Both their spinners spin the ball away from a right-hander, and if batsmen get used to it, the bowlers will be in trouble. Hence, a player like Jayant can be used to change the combination. The Haryana cricketer could also chip in with the bat if needed. Especially if Mumbai loses a few early wickets, an interesting option will be to send Jayant up the order.
