With crowd support, Mumbai Indians will be quite a force against RCB at home: Kumble

After the brilliant win against Deccan Chargers in our backyard, Royal Challengers Bangalore have two demanding matches on the road, starting with Wednesday’s clash against Mumbai at the Wankhede stadium, writes Anil Kumble in his column in The Times Of India.

“Mumbai, too, have won a couple of close games and are on a roll, and will be quite a force at home, backed by a vociferous home crowd. We are due to play them again at the Chinnaswamy stadium next Monday, so Wednesday’s encounter becomes crucial for more reasons than one,” writes Kumble, adding that the next three matches – the match against Pune on Friday splits our two showdowns against Mumbai – will give us a clear indication of where we stand with regard to making the playoffs cut.

“While prudence dictates that you take it one game at a time and not focus too much on the table, it is inevitable that, with the league phase nearing its business end, everyone will have one eye on making it to the next stage. Our challenge will be to ensure that we don’t look too far forward and thus lose sight of the immediate goal,” he adds.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Mumbai Indians will be a confident side when they take on RCB on Wednesday. “Buoyed by their sensational last-ball victory over Chennai Super Kings, a keyed up Mumbai Indians take on strong challengers Royal Challengers Bangalore in a crucial Indian Premier League game, here tomorrow. While MI have garnered 14 points from 11 matches, RCB are trailing them by three points, having played the same number of games ahead of the high-octane first leg clash,” says the report.

“If MI stopped the Super Kings in their tracks when new recruit Dwayne Smith smashed Ben Hilfenhaus for a six and two fours off the last three balls, RCB were no less impressive in pulling off a thrilling victory over Deccan Chargers. AB de Villiers' 17-ball unbeaten 47 swung the game RCB's way and he, along with another in-form batsman Chris Gayle, is a major threat to Mumbai's hopes of pulling off their fourth straight victory. A victory for MI would boost the points tally to 16 with four games left and would help them draw level with Delhi Daredevils, albeit with one game less in hand,” adds the paper.

Meanwhile an article in DNA says that the contest between Mumbai Indians and RCB has a gripping sub-plot — another installment of the combat between Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan. “The 2011 World Cup final at this very venue was the last time they were pitted against each other. Incidentally, that match was the Lankan’s swansong. Well, he didn’t get to bowl to Tendulkar that night on April 2,” says the article, adding that the IPL renews rivalries.

“So, the rubber-armed Sri Lankan can have another crack at the batting maestro. Against Deccan Chargers, Muralitharan had figures of none for 18 in four overs. Tendulkar, in the meantime, showed scorching form against Chennai Super Kings the other day. Maybe, the daunting target set by Chennai had liberated him. Bangalore would’ve hoped not.”