MI vs RCB, IPL 2026 preview: 'Ro vs Ko' reloaded as Mumbai Indians eye revival

MUMBAI: Languishing in the bottom half of the table, Mumbai Indians will be desperate to rediscover form when they take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night.

Both teams are coming off defeats to table-toppers Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, where they were dismantled by ‘boy wonder’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. MI lost a rain-curtailed 11-overs-a-side contest by 27 runs while RCB went down by six wickets.

In a rare dip, MI’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless in his first three IPL matches, conceding 0/88 in 11 overs at an economy rate of 8. The 31-year-old, who claimed 4/15 in the World Cup final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, had joined the squad just before the opening game after visiting the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Rohit’s milestone moment

It will be an emotional outing for Rohit Sharma, who has completed 15 years with the Mumbai Indians. The former India captain will be keen to mark the milestone with a strong performance against RCB, who boast the presence of Virat Kohli.

Having faced criticism in the past over fitness, Rohit has looked leaner, sharper and highly motivated this season. He began in style with a blazing 78 off 38 balls against KKR at the Wankhede, sharing a 148-run opening stand with Ryan Rickelton and helping MI end their 13-year streak of losing opening matches.

RCB look to recover

RCB, meanwhile, will need to overcome both fatigue and the psychological dent inflicted by Sooryavanshi’s explosive 26-ball 78. The visitors will also look to Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood to rediscover form.

The match also presents an opportunity for RCB’s big-hitting finisher Tim David — a former MI player — to make a statement against his old franchise. David has already shown his prowess this season with an unbeaten 70 off 25 balls, including eight sixes, against CSK.

Mitchell Santner has recovered from a niggle that ruled him out of MI’s last match and is available for selection.