Fantasy Cricket Tips for MI Vs RCB – Match #1 of IPL 2021

We all have been waiting for this moment for the past couple of months – IPL 2021 is starting in a few hours. Even though it’s been just 5 months since IPL 2020 season, it seems like a lot of time has passed and the enthusiasm around the IPL is even higher this time around. One reason for the same is the growth of Fantasy league gaming so here we are with the most sensible Fantasy Cricket Tips for MI Vs RCB.

In the first match of this IPL season defending champions Mumbai Indians will be facing Royal Challengers Bangalore on 9th April 2021. This might turn out to be the perfect beginning for this IPL season if RCB gives a tough fight to MI. The RCB fans are hoping for the same and almost everyone else is also looking forward to some good cricket.

MI vs RCB Match Preview

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Time: 7:30PM IST on 09-Apr-2021

Mumbai Indians are starting the new IPL season from a very comfortable position. They have 5 title wins under the belt including the last 2 seasons that they have won consecutively. They have many match-winners like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard and Ishan Kishan which gives them the confidence you can see on their faces. The only danger they face is overconfidence and complacence amongst players thinking of RCB as a weak team.

On the other hand, RCB comes from a very humble standpoint as they haven’t won any IPL title to date. However, they performed well in the last season and they might be looking at improving their track record under captain Kohli. They will be relying heavily on Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell. This is not a good situation for them as they need more shoulders to carry the weight in stressful times.

This is how they have performed in the past against each other.

It is worth noting here that in the last 10 matches between the two teams, MI has crushed RCB with 8 wins.

At the same time, we have to see if MI will be able to break the jinx of losing their opening match as they have never won even a single opening match since the 2013 season.

The playing XI

So, first things first – you need to be absolutely sure of the playing XI before you choose your team. Here are the 11 most probable players from each team that will be playing.

Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma (C), Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Coulter Nile/Piyush Chawla, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Virat Kohli (C), Devdutt Padikal, Mohammad Azharuddin, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (WK), Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini.

Pitch Report

More often than not the pitch at Chepauk is known to be a slow one. It is therefore going to favor the spinners. The surface might not be very conducive for Bumrah-Boult as they are already under pressure due to covid restrictions related to the use of Saliva.

On the other hand, it means a bonus for Yuzvendra Chahal and Piyush Chawla. Do not leave the spinner out of your team on this pitch. Chahal is a must as he was in the Top 5 wicket-takers of IPL 2020.

This is the second time the two teams are facing together on this pitch. The last time, in 2011, MI had beaten RCB but that win was due to the match-winning spell from Yuzvendra Chahal. In 2011 Chahal used to be a part of MI squad and was instrumental in their IPL win. This time he’s against his previous team and RCB must be expecting a similar magical spell from him. Another reason for you to pick Chahal as he has already performed very well on this pitch.

Weather Report

Expect clear skies during the match time. Chennai is hot around this time of the year, however, during the match time the temperature is expected to be 29 degrees Celsius. These are very good playing conditions for Indian as well as overseas players.

Top Picks for Batsmen

• Virat Kohli
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Rohit Sharma

Top Picks for Bowlers

• Jasprit Bumrah
• Yuzvendra Chahal
• Piyush Chawla (if in playing XI)

You can also read Top 5 contenders for the Purple cap in IPL 2021

The Wicket-keeper of choice

There is no other choice if AB de Villiers is playing. You should pick him up irrespective of whatever constraints. Ishan Kishan is a good bet but when it comes to choosing between him and de Villiers, we have to go with de Villiers.

All-rounders to focus on

• Hardik Pandya
• Glenn Maxwell
• Kieron Pollard OR Krunal Pandya

Captain and Vice-Captain

• Virat Kohli (Captain)
• You may choose between Ab de Villiers and Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain)

That’s your full team there, almost. In addition to the players mentioned above, you might want to pick Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar to complete your team. We would have recommended Trent Boult in top picks for the bowlers but this pitch is more suitable for the spinners, hence, we picked Piyush Chawla. If Chawla isn’t playing then should certainly pick Boult.

The unique thing about fantasy cricket is that the outcome of the match doesn’t really affect the players. It is the individual performances that can make or break things depending on your team selection. Therefore it is important to choose your team carefully considering various factors.

We hope that you find these tips useful and have a good day at fantasy cricket. If you liked our content then please let us know in the comments.

Disclaimer: Fantasy sports involve an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly and at your own risk.